Going Undercover
by Kuroi Tenshi1
Summary: UPDATED! Part 13 up (finally!) Relena loses a bet. Because of that, she now has to go attend the neighboring academy, exclusive for guys. Will she survive?
1. Part 1

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Going Undercover  
  
By Kuroi Tenshi  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
The moon hung in the sky with the stars and clouds quietly, providing light for the still night as everyone slept soundly on their beds. In a room on the third floor of Cherry Hill Academy, a lamp was lighted and its occupants were wide-awake.  
  
"You can't be serious!" Hilde Schbeicker hissed, eyes narrowing as her friend tucked her hair underneath a black cap.  
  
"Of course I'm serious," the girl with honey blond hair whispered back, her voice soft and low, afraid to wake the occupants next room. "No one will notice, besides, I'm due to leave the academy for vacation anyway, they'll think I just left a few hours early," she said, tucking the stray strands of blond hair under the cap.  
  
"You do realize that your brother will kill me if he finds out, right?" the girl with short dark hair said, attempting to stall her. She saw the blonde girl take her backpack and shrug.  
  
"I'm sure Milliardo won't kill you... well, I'll be pleading on your behalf if he ever decides to do that so there's a big chance you'll survive. Anyway, there's nothing you can do to stop me. I've made up my mind and I'm going to spend most of my vacation at Shin Kidousenki Academy. Besides, I promised Cathy I'd help her look for her brother."  
  
"Like I'd believe that," Hilde rolled her eyes. "You're scouting for a boyfriend here, that's the real reason you're going there."  
  
Relena Darlain's cheeks burned. "That's not true at all! I'm here because Cathy asked me to check what her brother's been doing at the academy! And finding a boyfriend isn't exactly on top of my priority list either. I might even learn to play poker there and beat Dorothy for once and for all."  
  
Hilde sighed. "Fine, so you're doing this for Cathy," she said, smiling a little. "But what about me? What if your brother comes for a visit and you're not here? They'll find out about your little trip to the neighboring academy and your brother will most definitely skin me alive. You know how protective he is when it comes to his little sister."  
  
"Hilde," Relena placed a hand on her roommate's shoulder. "You worry too much. Why don't you come with me instead?"  
  
"And give your brother another reason to hang me upside-down? No thanks. Be careful," she said, smiling a little. "And I hope you can take care of yourself when in front of the whole student body of Shin Kidousenki Academy, all from the male specie."  
  
"I can take care of myself, don't worry," Relena said confidently, heaving her backpack on her shoulder. She glanced at the clock and frowned. "I better go, it's almost three in the morning and I don't want to risk the chance of anyone seeing me leave."  
  
Hilde pulled her in a brief hug before grinning. "I wish I could go with you but you need someone to cover for you in case anything happens. Remember to call me, `kay?"  
  
Relena nodded. "Sure, I'll try to call you every other day and tell you what's up with me and the guy's dorm. And I'll look for a suitable boyfriend for you." Relena grinned and took a deep breath. "I guess I'll be off then, bye Hilde. I'll see you in six weeks?"  
  
"Six weeks," Hilde agreed, watching Relena exit through the window. Climbing down using the tree next to the window, Relena landed with a soft thud on the grass below. Looking up, she waved to her friend before jogging toward the parking lot where her car was waiting for her.  
  
  
Thirty minutes of driving's not really that tiring, she thought as she started the engine. Stifling a yawn, she sighed. If you had enough sleep. And three hours of sleep doesn't cut it as beauty sleep either.  
  
  
When she reached the other side of the hill where their neighboring school was, it was already three- thirty in the morning. Relena yawned. Parking at the corner before the school, she turned off the engine and closed her eyes. I still have four to five hours before I need to meet with the principal. I'm sure no one will mind if I sleep for a while.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Relena bit her lip as she tucked her long blond hair underneath the blond wig she bought. She smiled at her reflection and patted her hair. She looked exactly like a boy now, her hair hidden under the wig she bought for the occasion.  
  
She glanced at the dashboard and saw that it was already nine-forty-five. I guess they'll be expecting me by now. She practiced her lines and voice and grinned. "I can most definitely pass myself off as a guy."  
  
She gunned the engine and drove to the academy.  
  
  
Now seated in her room, no roommate, she couldn't risk some guy seeing her naked in the bathroom and finding out she really wasn't a guy, could she? She threw a disgusted frown at the uniform hanging on her closet.  
  
Summer vacation was just starting and the students had about eight more weeks to spend before school started again. She walked toward her window and peered through the white curtain and found the field below was busy with guys practicing different kinds of sports.  
  
Why, she wondered, would people want to spend their summer vacation in the same school they were forced to live in for ten long months? The answer to that she didn't know. She knew her own family must have been wondering why she refused to go to Switzerland with them that vacation and said she'd rather spend it at her dorm.  
  
So what the hell was a good girl like Relena Darlain doing in a private school exclusively for boys anyway? Good question, why was she there?  
  
Relena glared at the guys on the field before walking back to her bed and looking around her room. She glared at the picture on her table, the picture of her and her friends in their uniform. She glared particularly on the girl with long blond hair and fork eyebrows. Why did I have to lose anyway?  
  
The game was fairly simple, poker. Still having a lot of M&M's, she expected at least the normal strip poker that would've followed but Dorothy Catalonia had to butt in and say the loser would have to enroll at Shin Kidousenki Academy for the coming school year but would have to stay there for six weeks, pretending to be a guy.  
  
Relena, being the most likely to win, agreed, thinking she could win and make Dorothy lose. Only to have her plan backfire and lose, and now here she was, at the West Dorm where her room for the next six weeks was located. She considered barricading herself in her room for the next six weeks but she decided against it. The principal would most likely look for her--or him if she doesn't show up at mealtime.  
  
Her enrollment had gone smooth, nothing her credit cards couldn't handle. And she was thankful that the principal, Ms. Noin--who seemed familiar to her but couldn't remember meeting her in any way, was out for vacation and the stout middle-aged assistant principal welcomed Reynald Dorian with open arms.  
  
Of course there would be the question of what the hell he was doing at the dorm during summer when he could be out in the world, anywhere but the hellish School she was in. I'll have to think up of a good lie for that one. I wonder what am I doing here anyway?  
  
She heard the bell ring outside her door three times and wondered what that meant. She brushed it off and took out the romance pocket book she brought with her. She figured they'd be announcing dinner through the an electronic bell like they do in CHA, not the way other school use the old fashion bell she just heard. Surely, our neighboring school can't be so left behind as to still use such old methods of calling attentions.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Relena's stomach grumbled. She sighed and placed her book down, her stomach protesting and ordering her to get some food. Since the light lunch she had earlier that day, she hadn't eaten anything all day. She glanced at the clock, eight-thirty. When will they serve dinner? I'm hungry!  
  
She gave in to her stomach's demand and stood up from the bed where she was lying peacefully. She checked her hair using the mirror in the bathroom and opened her door a crack. She knew she was staying at one of the most expensive rooms of the academy and privacy was a privilege she had over most students. She corridor was relatively empty so she got up, pocketing the key of her room and tentatively took a few steps toward the staircase.  
  
Her stomach demanded her to walk faster but she kept her slow and steady pace, half-afraid of meeting someone along the way. Her room was at the fifth floor and aside from her growling stomach, she now had her tired body to worry about.  
  
She frowned, realizing she had no idea where the hell the dinning area was. She walked around for a few minutes, silently praying all her walking would be rewarded by finding the dinning area and having something hot inside her body, which was now screaming bloody murder for food. Even Hilde's pathetic attempt on cooking would be more than welcome. Wow, now I'm really desperate.  
  
She glanced at the wristwatch she had and her heart dropped. It was almost nine-thirty and she was just about ready to devour any food in sight, only there was none. "Where the hell is that stupid mess hall anyway? Do they plan to starve their students or what!" she growled, almost cursing as she continued to walk.  
  
She came upon a door and she just had this feeling it was the room she's been looking for. Pushing the double doors aside and walked in, her mouth watering in anticipation. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she stared at the empty, save for the kitchen assistants who were busy cleaning the tables. "Where's the food?" she asked before she could stop herself.  
  
One of the assistants looked up, the guy's shoulder-length black hair clinging to his face because of perspiration. "What do you mean `where's the food'? You just ate."  
  
Relena shook her head firmly. "I did not eat. I don't recall any of you ringing the bell signaling for food. I'm hungry and I want some food!"  
  
"Go away," was the other girl's annoyed reply. "It's not our fault you're building quite an appetite but the cook's left, she'll be back tomorrow for breakfast but till then, you'll have to find means of satisfying your appetite. Now scram."  
  
"Excuse me? You can't just let your students go hungry! I demand my food right now! I get cranky when I'm hungry and I'm more than hungry, I'm starving!"  
  
"Go away, kid, or do I have to push you out?" the man said, glaring at her. "We'd like to clean the mess you students left when you ate."  
  
"But I didn't eat! And I'm hungry!" Relena stomped her foot on the ground, emphasizing the fact. She knew she was acting like a brat now but she didn't care. Her hunger was beyond caring, she didn't care if the world collapsed, and all she cared about was having some food in her stomach. "Don't you know who I am?" she didn't care if she had to blow her cover just to eat. No one--as in no one starves Relena Darlain, youngest and only daughter of George Darlain, head of Darlain enterprises and many other businesses she'd rather not mention.  
  
"Yes, you're one of those rich spoiled brats, now go!" the man was--was dragging her out? Her brother will never let this slip by!  
  
"Get your dirty hands off me!" Relena exclaimed angrily. "How dare you starve me and now, not only that--you--you drag me out using force?! Is that the way to--" treat a lady? She glared at him, hands on her slender hips. "Look, can't we talk about it?"  
  
"No, now leave and don't come back!" the guy slammed the door behind him, leaving a very annoyed, very hungry Relena behind.  
  
"You'll pay for this, you know!" she kicked the closed door and it took a lot of her control for her not to throw a temper tantrum--which was worse that what she was doing right now. "If I die of starvation I'll make sure to drag you with me when I leave this earth! Damn it! I need food!"  
  
She was still glaring, cursing and steam was still coming out of her ears when she heard laughter from behind her. She turned, murder in her eyes as she scanned the place around her, in search for the source of laughter.  
  
She caught the shaking from behind the bushes and marched toward it, angrily pushing the shrub aside as she came face to face with wide violet eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"  
  
"Who me? I was just inspecting the shrubs here. Did you know that these shrubs grow faster than any normal trees?" Amusement filled the young man's eyes as she glared at him. He held up his hands and grinned. "Hey, take it easy, I'm here to help."  
  
Relena eyes him suspiciously. "And how would you be doing that? By laughing at me? Come on, you can do better than that."  
  
"Hey, it's true," the boy shrugged. "You're hungry, right? I have some food up in my room, wanna come?"  
  
She hesitated for a moment before shrugging. It's not like he'd try something on me. "Why would you do that? Share your food, I mean?"  
  
"You seemed desperate and in need of it, badly. So I supposed this'd be my good deed of the day. You seem new, so what's your name anyway?"  
  
"Rel--Reynald Dorian. And you?"  
  
"Duo Maxwell's the name. So what're you doing there anyway? Aside from begging--demanding food? Did you miss the bell or something?"  
  
"The old fashioned ball was the bell? I should've known!" she growled, glaring at the speaker on the wall. "I guess I missed it, huh?"  
  
"Yeah, so what're you doing here? Aren't you a little early for school?"  
  
Relena followed him as they made their way toward the East dorms where most athletes resided. "What about you? What're you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be off to vacation or something?"  
  
"Not me, I usually stay her with most of the students who don't have any places to go. And you? You haven't answered my question yet."  
  
She bit her lip for a second before answering. "My--uh--dad's getting married soon and I didn't want to spend my vacation with my soon-to-be-stepmom?"  
  
"You don't sound sure," Duo shrugged. "Hmm, like Heero's case."  
  
"Heero?"  
  
"My roommate," Duo explained. "He's our right now, doing god knows what. He's usually like that, I learned to ignore him when he's in on of his psychotic moods." They started climbing the stairs and within minutes, Relena was closing the door behind her.  
  
She felt her cheeks burn at the realization she was in a room with a boy, alone. She shook her head and hit herself mentally. Idiot! Of course you'll be alone with lots of boys, this is an exclusive for boys school after all! Idiot! And to let yourself think of things like that--idiot!   
  
She bit her lip and unconsciously looked around the room, noting how messy it was. She shares her room with Hilde and Hilde can get really messy with her things but their room never was this untidy. Clothes were strewn all over the place, cartons of juice and milk was on top of the table and three balls were under the chair, bed and in the middle of the room.  
  
Duo looked at her, pausing from where he was taking something from the small fridge. "Oh, sorry about the mess. We don't usually spend time here anyway, we only go here to sleep, eat or escape teachers. We spend our time at the basketball court down. What about you? What kind of sport are you interested in?"  
  
"Me?" she croaked, a little stunned. She didn't consider that. Of course every man on the planet had a thing for sports, and she definitely had to have one if she wanted to be considered as one of the normal teenage boys.  
  
She knew how to play different kind of sports but well... sports for girls. And she excelled in swimming--given the situation, swimming was out of the question. Way out of the question. "Basketball?" that was one of the sports she knew was very popular with young and old men. And the sport she was weakest in. But hey--she wasn't planning on playing anyway so who cares?  
  
Duo nodded, placing a bowl of chips in front of her. She was seated at the small dinning table, across Duo who was munching on the chips as well. "That's cool, maybe you and Heero can play one on one. Heero's really good. Of course, I'm better," he grinned. "Help yourself with the chips, man. When you've been studying here since you were little, you'll learn to have chips and other goodies stored in your fridge. They refuse to give the students `junk' as they call it. They only serve low fat, less-grease and `healthy' food at the caf. You'll starve if you depend on the food they'll serve you. You might even die."  
  
Relena smiled. Duo seemed like a really nice guy. He reminded her of Hilde. "Thanks again for saving me--or that man, I swear I was about to kick his ass when he dragged me like that. My brother would've killed him if he found out that man touched me and treated me like someone beneath him."  
  
"Your brother's protective of you?" Duo asked, looking at her.  
  
Relena blushed. Great. Now he must be thinking what a sissy I am. He might even be thinking that I'm gay or something because of that. You're an idiot, Relena. "Huh? Uh---yeah, I'm the youngest and he--treats me as if---as if I'm his son. You see he's older than me, really, really old, about twenty years older and he has no son, he isn't even married yet and he wants nothing but to have a son so guess who'll be his son until he gets one?" she tried to catch her breath and forced a smile. She was never a good liar. But she hoped Duo bought her story anyway.  
  
Duo blinked then shrugged. "Sure, whatever. So will you be taking basketball as your sport then?"  
  
"What do you mean?" she asked. It turns out you have to pick a sport that you want and be like on a summer workshop while you're staying at the academy for the summer. Instead of classes (though there are some), you can practice sports.  
  
"I guess. What about you?" she asked.  
  
"I'm taking swimming," he grinned then flexed his muscles. "I'm sure Heero'd be happy to take you with him."  
  
"I'd be happy to take who with me?" a voice asked, startling them both. Relena didn't even hear the door open. She turned and came face to face with a guy with an unruly mop of tousled brown hair and cobalt blue eyes. She gasped and swallowed hard. The guy looked positively threatening.  
  
"Uh, hi?" she said, feeling her cheeks burn as he looked at her, eyeing her up and down.  
  
"You're new."  
  
"Duh," was out of her mouth before she could stop herself and bit her lower lip. Then shrugged, back straightening. She was Relena Darlain, she shouldn't be afraid of anyone, even if he looked intimidating. She can be intimidating as well. "Rele--- Reynald Dorian," she said, extending her hand. "You're Heero, I assume?"  
  
"Heero Yuy," he took her hand and shook it firmly. Relena had to stop herself from crying out aloud as she felt her hand feel soggy from his shake.  
  
"Nice you meet you," she said, smiling. He wasn't that tall, she was only shorter by a few inches. "So uh, I heard you're good at basketball. I was thinking of taking basketball this summer."  
  
"So? What does that have to do with me?" was the curt reply she got.  
  
Relena glared at him for a moment before forcing her smile again. "Nothing. Well, I have to go now, I still have to do things in my room, unpack," she made a face. "It was nice meeting you, Duo." A pause. "Heero." She smiled at Duo. "I'll be leaving now, thanks for the food, you saved my sanity. Bye."  
  
"See you tomorrow then? The bell rings at seven-thirty be sure to go down by then. Maybe you can sit with me and my friends, I'll introduce you around if you want."  
  
"That'd be great," she smiled. "Thanks again, bye." She stood up and walked toward the door, not once looking back. If she had done so, she would've seen Duo devouring what was left of the chips and Heero staring at her back.  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Who was that?" Heero asked the minute the door closed behind the new guy.  
  
Duo looked up from where he was munching and held up a hand to signal him to wait for him to finish chewing and swallowing. When he was done, he sighed. "Man! Weren't you listening to the guy? His name's Reynald Dorian. He's new here."  
  
"I know who he is," Heero rolled his eyes. "What I meant was where did you meet him?"  
  
Duo shook his head. "Nu-uh, you asked who he was, not where I met him. Anyway, I rescued him--or the man as he had said earlier--at the caf. He was about to kill or cause serious injury to the guy at the caf? He apparently didn't know the bell was the signal for dinner so he was hungry. I was passing the hallway when he started threatening the man. Saved them both and brought him here, fed him and now he left. Why?"  
  
His friend shrugged. "He seemed suspicious. He didn't sound sure of all his answers, like he was trying to remember it."  
  
"Oh, right," Duo nodded slowly. "You're in your detective mode again and he's acting suspicious. Shouldn't you be checking his background by now?"  
  
Heero didn't say anything in response; he just walked toward his bed and sat on it. "He's acting weird, that's all I can say."  
  
"Anybody who speaks more than a phrase is weird to you. You thought I was weird before," Duo shrugged. "Anyway, I'm beat. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to swim."  
  
Heero glanced at him for a second then stood up and cleaned the table where Duo left the bowl. He couldn't explain it but he had the sudden urge to clean. He didn't want the visitors thinking they were slobs.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Relena walked nervously, tray at hand. She wished for the nth time she didn't lose to the stupid bet and it was Dorothy who was walking around in this place filled with boys. To some, it was heaven but to her, it was hell. She never had any interest in boys before so she couldn't have cared less if she spent her time in a boy's dorm but... it was nerve-wracking the way she was possibly the only female teenager in the whole place, except for the assistant principal, the cook and her assistants and the rest of the auxiliary staff--who were most likely twice her age.  
  
She scanned the dinning hall for signs of Duo. She found none. She was starting to lose hope--a bad omen for if there's anything Relena's not, it's being pessimistic. She has this optimistic trait that pleases or irks everyone. And now she was losing hope, on her second day.  
  
She steeled her nerves and shook her head, determined not to lose hope. I will not lose hope, I won't. There's nothing to worry about, I'm perfectly safe here, and I'm just a normal teenage boy, what could happen?  
  
"Hey there, lover-boy," called out a guy to her, waving his hands in a lady-like manner. Relena wanted nothing else but for the world to open up and swallow her. It didn't occur to her that there might actually be some gay people at the academy. She had nothing against gay people, she believed that love is love, it doesn't matter if you're both from the same gender. But she never thought of herself being the center of someone's love interest.  
  
She ignored the catcalls coming from the table. She bit her lip as she tried to ignore the stares she knew she was getting from the other students. This is not good. The bet didn't include being humiliated in front of the whole academy. I'm gonna kill Dorothy for this.  
  
She kept her steady and nervous pace as she continued to scan the place for any sign of Duo, praying he'd save her once again. But fate was being a big meanie, he was nowhere in sight. She was about to give up and run back to her room when she felt someone took her arm and led her toward the table at the corner, away from prying eyes.  
  
When she turned, she saw Heero looking straight ahead, still holding her arm and leading the way. She blushed and tried to keep up with his fast pace. When they reached the table, she found three other guys already seated and eating their food quietly. They looked up when they came closer, the blond guy smiling while the other two remained expressionless.  
  
Relena bit his lip. "Uh, hi, I'm Reynald." She turned to Heero who had taken the sit next to her. "Thanks."  
  
Heero shrugged, saying nothing and started eating his food. The three looked at her.  
  
"I'm Quatre, nice meeting you," the blond boy said, extending his hand to her. She took it and shook it gently. "This is Trowa," he motioned at the tall guy seated next to him. "And Wufei," was the Chinese man.  
  
"Where's Duo?" she asked, taking her seat slowly, trying to look around.  
  
"He's probably still at the pool, right, Heero?" Quatre said, turning to his friend. "Anyway, Duo said you might sit with us. So you're new huh? From what school did you transfer from?"  
  
Relena barely stopped herself from replying Cherry Hill Academy. "Eh? I study at... I used to study at home. I used to have my tutor coming to our house but I decided it'd be nicer to study at a school instead of the teacher coming to me, right? So I... transferred here." She forced out another wide smile. She didn't like lying to her new friends--if she could call them that, but she had no choice. She couldn't tell them she was really a girl pretending to be a guy. So she opted to eat the food they served her instead, forcing the awful-bland-tasting thing they called food to go down her throat as she forced herself to swallow it down.  
  
She couldn't help but compare CHA with SKA. They were never forced to eat "healthy" food like this at CHA and she never missed a meal there. She sighed. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed with the bet, she thought. She mentally scolded herself. It was so not like her to just quit and give up. She'll survive this. Or if she doesn't, she'll make sure Dorothy suffered the same way she did. She glared at the bland mash on her plate and pushed the plate away. She swore the mashed thing just moved.  
  
I'm gonna have to buy stocks and stocks of food if I'm planning on surviving the six weeks of my stay here. And eating their food's not part of my things-to-do-to-survive list. No way. This food will kill me.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Why don't you try basketball? You said so yourself last night you'll be taking it, so why not sign up today? I'll go with you if you want," he offered.  
  
Relena smiled then nodded. "Sure, thanks. You're being real nice and I just wanna say... thanks a lot. Maybe I can repay you with a blind date?" she said innocently, her mind already thinking of setting up Duo with Hilde. "I know this girl who's really nice. She's cute too."  
  
Duo shrugged. "I dunno, blind dates have a way of ending up in disasters," he said. "Maybe some other time?"  
  
She nodded. "Sure, it's totally up to you if you'd accept or not," she said though in her mind, she was already thinking up of ways to set up the date. "So where should we go?" she asked, changing the subject, walking next to Duo as they followed the wide path to the garden.  
  
"We need to get you signed up, we have to go to the court and tell the coach you'll be joining his team. Better be in your gym clothes."  
  
Some guys from the basketball team passed by them and Relena saw a problem. They were wearing the standard undershirt thing for basketball. She was supposed to wear that as well. She stopped dead on her tracks. "Do I have to wear what everybody else wears?" she asked nervously, eyes wide.  
  
Duo thought about it for a while then shrugged. "I don't know. But if you don't wanna, tell coach Torres and maybe he'll let you wear what you want. Why won't you wear the ones they use anyway? It's easier to play wearing them."  
  
Relena thought for a while then it hit her. "Because, I have these scars around my body, from an accident few years ago," she lied, again hating to lie to her new friend but having no choice. They were near the basketball court now, Relena could feel her nervousness return. What would playing basketball be like?  
  
  
  
"Oof!" orange rubber ball hit her hard on the stomach but pretended it was nothing. Her team captain, Heero glared at her. She glared back. She passed the ball to her other teammate, Kenny then started to follow him, running, guarding tall and handsome Chris, her black cotton shirt soaked with sweat.  
  
Three hours since signing up, joining the team, Heero's team and she already felt like overcooked spaghetti. How the hell was she supposed to survive six weeks of this? She must be crazy. Or incredibly suicidal. Or both.  
  
The coach's whistle blew, signaling the victory of Gerald's team. Heero glared at her and she felt glares stabbing her back as they all hustled together around the coach. She never felt more dead than she did the moment the coach made his announcement.  
  
"I'll be leaving for a while, four weeks at least," the tall balding man began, looking at his students. "That means no one will be here to supervise your workshop but..." he trailed off, looking at Heero. "Yuy will substitute my presence while I'm gone."  
  
Everyone groaned. They all knew that Heero was such a slave driver. The coach held up a hand that silenced everyone. "This is the first time a student will substitute a teacher of the workshop in the academy, be grateful that at least they didn't assign Mrs. Grey to take over," he said, mentioning the strict librarian. "Heero will be in full command, when he says practice, everyone will practice. What he says goes, got it?" When everyone nodded, he smiled. "Good. I'll be leaving tomorrow. You're all free for the afternoon." They all moved toward the shower room when the coach called her and Heero.  
  
Relena bit her lip as she and Heero came closer to the coach. What had she done wrong this time? The coach caught Heero eye and nodded to her direction and Relena felt mortified at what that unvoiced exchange meant. Were they kicking her out?  
  
The coach cleared his throat and smiled at Relena. "Reynald, my boy, Heero will fill you in. Good day," he said, turning and started walking away.  
  
Relena watched the coach's retreating back, eyes wide. What was that all about? She glanced at Heero and found him looking critically at her. "What?" she asked, her annoyance showing a little in her voice.  
  
"We need to talk," Heero said, taking her elbow and leading her out of the court, stopping in front of the drinking fountain at the back of the gym where no one would hear them. "We lost today, on the basketball game."  
  
She glared at him then looked away. "So what?"  
  
"My team never lost before." That quiet statement was enough to make Relena lose her temper. How dare this--this boy say such things!  
  
"So you want me out then? Is that it? Your team lost for the first time, just when I joined your team, such coincidence, isn't it? Fine, I'll just sign up for another dumb sport. You don't have to worry about me screwing up your winning streak again," she said, turning around and walking away, each step heavy and full of venom. That jerk!  
  
"Wait," Heero said, attempting to call her attention back but she ignored him. Who does this boy think he is? He made a fool out of her enough. And making a fool out of Relena is one too many. Her brother would--her brother would never find out, of course, he'd kill her. But she was sure her brother would've made Heero regret saying those mean things to her if he finds out--which he won't.  
  
She suddenly felt Heero's firm hold on her arm once more. So deep in her thought she was, she didn't realize Heero was coming closer and holding her arm to keep her from going further. "What do you want, Yuy?"  
  
"I didn't--I didn't mean for you to leave the workshop. The coach asked me if I could help you out with basketball, if you'd let me," he explained, eyes not meeting hers.  
  
"WHAT?" she asked, her low voice becoming a pitch higher, he noted with his trained ears.  
  
"It means I'll help you become better in basketball if you'd let me," Heero tried to explain, clumsily but Relena still smiled despite his clumsy effort.  
  
What am I doing here anyway? I don't give a damn if he leaves anyway, It'll be one pain in the ass less for me to worry about, Heero thought at he waited for Reynald's answer. He held his breath unconsciously and waited for his response.  
  
"Okay," he nodded and Heero felt himself smile almost involuntarily. Reynald flashed him a bright smile. "Okay," he repeated.  
  
The blond boy shrugged. "I'd like that, so I'll have to head back to my dorm to take a shower, see you later then? Oh, and tell Duo thanks for everything, bye!" he turned and started to jog toward the east dorm where students from the rich and prominent families resided.  
  
Then he frowned. There was that again, that strange trait Reynald was showing. He was being secretive. I wonder what it is he's trying to hide.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
Relena pulled off the wig that was cutting off the circulation to her head. She threw the annoying wig on her bed and sighed. Why did she have to wear that wig any way? Her long hair would be fine, Duo's hair was longer, no one was complaining. So why did she have to wear that wig that's cutting off circulation on her head?  
  
I'll look like a girl, that's why, she answered. And besides, letting my hair down the way it is would make look more like Relena Darlain instead of Reynald Dorian. She picked up the phone beside her nightstand and dialed the number on her and Hilde's room. "Hello?"  
  
"Yeah, who is this?" Catherine's cheerful voice rang out and Relena smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. Then frowned. She forgot all about her brother! "Uh, hi, Cathy. So how are things there?"  
  
"Oh, it's you!" Cathy exclaimed. "So how have you been? We were thinking that you'd be having fun right now," she said loudly, though not loud enough to drown out the voices at the background.  
  
"I say Relena's having the scare of her life, surrounded by boys!" Dorothy exclaimed. Relena felt her jaw drop. What the hell?  
  
"Twenty dollars, I say Relena found a potential boyfriend," she heard Hilde shout. Cathy cleared her throat. "Uh, so how have you been?"  
  
"I'm having the time of my life, but do tell Hilde I haven't found a boyfriend yet. Though I have found someone for her," Relena said. "Anyway, I was just calling to see how you guys were," she said, twirling the black cord around her index finger. "Well, I have to go now, anyway. Till next time then?"  
  
"Sure," Cathy said. "By the way, have you--" she was cut off when Relena suddenly interjected.  
  
"I really have to go, sorry. I'll call again next time okay? The connection's pretty bad, bye!" she replaced the receiver down and sighed. That was close. She didn't like cutting the conversation short but she had no choice. She completely forgot all about looking for Cathy's brother that she was afraid to tell her she forgot. Oh well. I'll start tomorrow.  
  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Reynald- darling!" James Reyes smiled at him. "Hey there, Reynald," he said lowly, moving closer to him.  
  
Relena subtly inched away. Third day of being in SKA and she pretty much knew the ins and outs of the school, thanks to her new friends. She looked around, in a lame attempt to escape her new admirer. She had lots of admirers before, all guys.  
  
Sure, James was no different, he's also a guy. But the he is different. He liked Reynald, not Relena. And that was the problem. James Reyes was pretty much known for being a playboy, a junior and had many lovers from different year levels. Currently, he made it his mission to have Reynald Dorian added to his long list of lovers.  
  
Relena forced a smile and bit her lower lip. She was on her way to the gym when James caught up with her, placing a hand on her arm, gripping it, but making it seem like a gentle hold, immobilizing her. She was stuck with him at the school garden until he released her arm.  
  
"Hey there, Rey. Can I call you Rey?" he asked, giving him a wide grin, loosening his hold on her arm. Relena inched away, putting as much distance as she can between them. "So where are you going?"  
  
"Basketball," she replied, making her voice seem low and like a man's. "I really need to go. Bye!" she said, pulling her arm out of his loose hold and jogged away. But before he could go any further, James grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt.  
  
"Wait a minute, Dorian. I just wanted to be friendly here, no need to be on the rush. As I've heard, the coach is leaving I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass-but-incredibly-sexy Yuy in charge, you don't need to rush. I'm sure he'll understand it if you're a minute or two late," James said, sitting on the wooden bench next to them. He patted the space next to him and smiled.  
  
Relena shook her head. "Uh, I don't think so. I really have to go, bye!" before James could do anything, Relena ran as fast as she could away from the spot James had dragged her into and ran toward the gym.  
  
She had nothing against gay people but she couldn't exactly see herself being in one, in any relationship even. She had better things to do than spend her time mooning over some guy. When she got to the gym, she found Heero waiting for her in front of the door. He had a basketball tucked under his arm. Relena couldn't help but think that he looked really good like that. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized, biting her lower lip. She didn't want to blow this. She wanted Heero to teach her how to play basketball. "I got held up by... things."  
  
"Must be pretty important," Heero commented. "Anyway, let's start," he threw the ball at him and Relena caught it with a grunt. "We'll use the other court, less people."  
  
"What about the others?" she asked, pushing the double doors aside and found the others lounging around the gym. Some were playing cards while some were sleeping on the bleachers. "Are you aware that the people inside are not doing anything?" she asked, turning back to look at Heero in the eye. "And I have to go work my ass off trying to play basketball?"  
  
Heero shrugged. "They need--deserve the break. Now let's go, we don't have all day, you know," he said, already walking toward the court next to the pool.  
  
Relena's mouth fell open slightly then she closed it, walking briskly after him. That jerk! she thought as she walked after him. He thinks he's the best thing in this world. Well he isn't! And he should get that in his little athletic mind.  
  
  
"You really don't know how to shoot properly?"  
  
Relena gritted her teeth and threw the ball at him. "I think the purpose of this is to teach me to play basketball. Why would I need someone to teach me how to play if I knew how to play basketball to begin with? Of course I don't!"  
  
Heero glared at her then shot the ball. It neatly sailed in. Heero looked at her while she glared at him. "So you're good--great in basketball. That doesn't mean every other individual's as good as you. Ugh! I give up!"  
  
"So you're gonna walk out on me and forget about learning how to play?" Heero asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
  
"If you're gonna be like that, treating me like some idiot just because I can't shoot or pass that damn ball, no. If we're going to spend this wonderful afternoon out baking in the sun arguing, I should just go," Relena sighed, looking away and avoiding Heero's eyes.  
  
Heero shook his head. "Okay, fine. So I was wrong to act that way. Can we please get back on learning how to play?"  
  
Relena looked at him closely and found that he as serious. "Well, yeah, I guess. So what do I do so the ball goes sailing neatly in, like yours did?" she asked, taking the ball from Heero and throwing it at the net, missing the small smile at Heero's lips before it disappeared.  
  
She threw the ball forward, bending her knee as she did. The ball sailed neatly in, elating the grinning Relena as she tucked the ball under her arms. "Well, not bad for a beginner, right?" she asked, turning to face Heero and giving him a cheerful grin.  
  
  
Tbc  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Feed the author's ego, email her at: giggles_22@edsamail.com.ph 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimers: not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing.  
  
Notes: another fic to add to the other series ficcies I've been busy with. ^^;; it's 1 in the morning (this is the only time creative juices are flowing within me so I guess I'm kinda nocturnal) so coherent thinking and Kuroi Tenshi in the same sentence is very much unlikely. Please be warned accordingly. ^_^  
  
And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^  
  
Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Going Undercover  
  
By Kuroi Tenshi  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Part 2  
  
The sun was slowly setting outside her window, casting red-orange shadows to penetrate into the spacious room that was Relena's home for another five weeks. She survived the first week without killing anybody and she was determined now, to win the bet and survive the remaining weeks. How hard could it be anyway?  
  
Now, lying on her bed and staring at the ceiling, she was bored. Utterly bored out of her mind. She didn't know anything fun she could do to please her without risking her cover. Shaking her head in disdain, she shifted to her left and closed her eyes for a second. She was planning on buying food tomorrow afternoon; the food was already taking its toll on her. The normally cheerful, optimistic Relena's reduced to nothing but a tired and bored Reynald.  
  
"At least my basketball's improving," she said aloud. Just that afternoon, she was able to score higher than Heero. She won with a close call, one-to-two, and she was sure Heero let her win. "Well, that's fine with me. Next time I won't lose to him, or let him lose to me on purpose," she growled at the prospect of Heero letting her win just because he thought she couldn't win on her own. She sat up from the bed and looked at the little kitchen she had in the corner of her room. She knew the bell would ring soon but she had no plans of going down.  
  
Just the thought of going down and taking in another plateful of those blob they called food was enough to make her sick. She was tired, bored and she didn't want anything coming from the school's kitchen. Standing up from the bed, she took her car keys and stood up, intending to drive around for a while before going to bed. She needed, no, deserved a break. And she found a secluded spot near the cliff where she knew she could go and have no one find out.  
  
Taking the light blue jacket from her closet, she grabbed her keys and walked out of her room, intending to spend the next few hours alone in solitude by the small rocky cliff.  
  
  
  
Heero shoved his hands in his pockets as he walked around the rocky site that served as his sanctuary for the last three years he'd been staying at the dorm. The waves from the ocean at the foot of the hill where SKA was located crashed noisily against the rocky boulders below. He closed his eyes for a second, letting himself be lost in the rhythmic crashing of the waves, thinking, wishing, pretending he was alone, alone with only the crashing waves in a world only he inhabited. He wanted nothing else than to be alone with nature, no teachers, no classmates, no friends, and most of all, no family.  
  
But the spell was broken after a few seconds as it always did. He would once again open his eyes and see in a distance the Academy where his father deposited him, shattering the image of the world he wished for, his world. He would always open his eyes and see the prison he was living in, away from his family, in the comfort of friends who, with their own reasons were deposited there as well, like him. Disregarded like some unwanted toy after being played with.  
  
Turning to look at the wide ocean in front of him, he walked closer toward the cliff's edge, taking in the majestic view given by the ocean. The crescent moon that hung in the sky with the stars scattered around the dark blue blanket only highlighted the ocean's beauty. After many years of looking at it, the ocean at night still took his breath away.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Relena took of the wig and threw it at the backseat in disdain. The darn thing was cutting off the circulation to her head for the hundredth time that day and she'd had enough of the wig. Her head needed blood to function properly.  
  
Opening her door and stepping out, she breathed the ocean air, the gentle ocean breeze blowing against her face. She smiled as she allowed the wind to caress her face gently, closing her eyes for a second to listen to the waves crashing below. She loved the ocean; ever since she was a small girl, she would always look forward to the family outings she and her family took during summer to the sea. To her, the ocean was some sort of refuge, a sanctuary she could always turn to when she wanted to get away from everything.  
  
Continuing her walk, she came nearer toward the cliff, intending to stand as near to the edge as possible. Her family had always been protective of her, always worrying over her, so she never braved coming near the edge for fear of her parents worrying over her for nothing. But now that they weren't there, Milliardo wasn't anywhere near to stop her, she wanted to go as near as possible at the edge without the risk of falling off the cliff.  
  
Her jacket didn't seem that much comfort from the wind, as she felt chilly, nevertheless she continued her walk toward the edge, very much determined to look at the beautiful ocean by the cliff's edge. Wrapping her arms around her, she took another step forward, pausing by the boulders to look at the sky.  
  
It was beautiful, she thought as she gave at the hemispherical heavenly body hanging on the sky an awed stare. It was beautiful, letting out a happy and contented sigh, she moved forward, only to freeze at the sight of Heero Yuy staring at her from the cliff's edge.  
  
  
  
  
  
Heero stared at the young woman in silent shock. He wasn't expecting anyone to be there, he didn't even expect anyone to know the place existed. So of course he was surprised to see the young lady standing by the boulders, the very pretty young lady.  
  
She ran a hand through her silky honey blond hair and looked down on the ground. "I, uh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize someone else was here," she said, her voice sounding like music to his ears. She started to turn away but he Heero made a sound, foreign even to his own ears.  
  
"Wait," Heero called out, hand unconsciously reaching out for her. She paused, eyes questioning. What was he doing anyway? What was he stopping her anyway? This was his sanctuary, he should be relieved she was leaving him alone. It was him who looked down this time, eyes locking themselves on the ground. "Wait," he repeated. "Don't go, you. you can stay if you want. The ocean's beautiful from here, you might want to look."  
  
Relena raised an eyebrow. Heero Yuy? Mister I-couldn't-have-cared- less-if-you-writhe-in-pain-in-front-of-me-Yuy was inviting her to join him watch the ocean, willingly? Then she felt a small smile tug on her lips. Relena tentatively stepped closer, biting her lips to suppress the smile she was sure that was starting to turn into a huge grin.  
  
Apparently, Mr. Yuy had a soft spot for women; and she just happened to be one. She glanced at Heero for a second before turning to look at the ocean. All thoughts of Heero instantly vanished as she stared to the ocean, eyes widening as she appreciated the majestic view. The ocean being beautiful was an understatement. It was magnificent!  
  
"What a wonderful sight," she gasped. "I've never seen the ocean look this beautiful before."  
  
Heero smiled and shrugged. The girl's reaction was something close to his initial reaction of the ocean years ago when he first came to discover the place. "I know. This place is like a haven to me. You can escape the world and be alone with the ocean and the stars here."  
  
Something in his tone made Relena tear her eyes away from the sight and turn to him. "I take it as you're not very happy when you're not in here. Any problems? I know we barely know each other but if it'll help, I can listen."  
  
Heero shook his head and walked toward the little cave near the cliff. He grabbed the bag of chips he took from Duo's "emergency reserve" and offered it to her. "Not really," he said nonchalantly. "We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Heero," he extended his hand at her.  
  
She stepped closer and took his hands, shaking it firmly. "Relena," she said; it felt nice introducing yourself using your real name for a change. "So what're you doing out here? Escaping to your haven?" she asked, boldly sitting next to him. She gathered her long blond hair to her right side and ran her hands through it absently.  
  
She felt kind of nervous. She never had this kind of conversation with Heero before; her usual communication with him included only a brief "I'll meet you at the gym, don't be late," "whatever you say, captain" or "hnn's" and "hmp's." She never had a normal conversation with the boy and she had no idea how Heero is like when he's not in front of his laptop, not playing basketball or when he's not glaring at you or someone else.  
  
"I was just thinking. trying to sort of my thoughts and feelings," Heero shrugged. "What about you? This is the first time I've seen you here."  
  
Relena's mind was reeling. Heero? Needed to sort out his thoughts and- feelings? She was pretty damn sure he didn't have any before, especially during practices. She was about to make a sarcastic remark when she happened to glance at him. She stopped.  
  
The Heero Yuy sitting next to her wasn't the aloof basketball star she knew. His eyes were. different. As if his eyes weren't as cold and flat as they usually were. She shrugged. "I, uh, I guess I just moved in few days ago. What about you? How long had you been going here?"  
  
"Since Day 1 my father deposited me at the prison," Heero's answer came out bitterly. Realizing what he said, she saw faint red tainting his beautifully tanned cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it in a bad way. I mean."  
  
"You don't really like being imprisoned in that school, huh?" she said, offering him a comforting smile. "I used to be just like that when my mom and dad told me I was to spend most of the year at my dorm. 'They'll teach you how to be a proper lady', they said. I didn't like it at first but I learned to adjust." She paused. "I'm sure you've had your adjustments too."  
  
"Our reasons of being in dormitories may be different," Heero said, his cold persona slipping back on as he stood up. "They may have really wanted what was best for you."  
  
"And you think your parents don't?"  
  
"It's different."  
  
"How different?"  
  
"I don't know you. Why the hell should I tell you?"  
  
His coldness didn't even make her a least bit hesitant. She'd been used to that by now, even worse. "Maybe because you need someone to talk to. We may not know each other very well but I've always believed in what some people say: strangers make the best listeners."  
  
"Where the hell did you hear that crap?"  
  
She shrugged. "Invented it. Well? Are you gonna spill or do we have to spend the night arguing instead of talking?" she said, looking up from where she sat, munching on the goods he brought with him. She noticed the "Duo's food-don't open, for Duo only!" on the bag. "I hope your roommate doesn't mind us eating his food."  
  
"Duo's an idiot, he won't even notice a bag's missing."  
  
"Why do you do that?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Insult your friends and call them names. Did you even think about the possibility you might've been hurting their feelings by pushing them away like that?"  
  
"You don't-won't understand. You don't know me."  
  
"That's why I'm here. Tell me about yourself and then I'll know something about you, piece them together and make a guess on how you really are. The real Heero."  
  
"I don't want to. Mind you own business," he said, taking the bag from her and sitting next to her, though not looking at her, only at the beautiful brightly lit sky.  
  
The waves crashed and Relena sighed. "My name's Relena, I'm the youngest of two. I have a brother and parents who are too protective of me. I know they mean well but I always feel as if I'm on a leash. I don't like it, but I try not to think about it too much. Because. that's how it is. I've always wanted to take on after my father, who's a political figure. I like chips and soda. There. Now you know more about me, not just my name."  
  
"Who says I'm interested?"  
  
"Nobody did."  
  
"You're getting on my nerves, you know?" Heero asked, glaring at her. She didn't seem to falter. He decided she wasn't like any other girls he met. "What're you doing out here anyway?"  
  
"Needed air. Can you believe how closed off I feel in the dorm? I guess I just wanted some fresh air for a change. And you, Heero? You haven't answered anything I asked."  
  
"What question?"  
  
"Why you're so mean to everyone who's trying to be friendly. Did it even occur to you they wanted nothing but friendship from you? I can guess your personality," she chuckled. "You tend to ignore everyone, doesn't talk much and glares a whole lot. Am I right?" The annoyed grunt was all the answer she needed to hear. "I knew it."  
  
"What do you know about things anyway? You've probably been locked up in your precious little dormitory, being taught that everything in this world's beautiful and full of love. When I look at you, I only see a rich girl who's been pampered all her life. What do you know about pain? About life?" Heero turned away from her and looked up the sky.  
  
Relena glared at him. "Pain? Life? I think I've read about those on my books. What about them?"  
  
"See? I knew it, you're nothing but a pretty face who knows nothing about-" he turned to look back at her to see her smirking. "Are you mocking me?"  
  
"No, I'm humoring you," she replied simply, shrugging. She grabbed a can of soda from his opened bag and took a long sip, savoring each second. "Wooh! Thank God you had one of these. I was positive I'd die if I had to drink another glass of orange juice instead of soda."  
  
"You're starting to really get on my nerves."  
  
The girl grinned. "Well then, that's something. I'm actually causing you a reaction out of you? Cool! By the way, can I have that?" she asked, fishing the bag of chips from Heero's hands. "You know, I wish I discovered this place sooner," she said through a mouthful of cheese balls. "This place is really great. I love it here."  
  
Heero chose to ignore her, not knowing what to say. If her insulted her, she would only counter him and make him seem silly and foolish. But if he said anything relatively close to being nice, she'd be encouraged and he didn't want that-he didn't want her to act too friendly with him. So the wise thing to do was to keep quiet and let her do all the talking.  
  
"You're really too quiet for your own good," Relena commented. "And it's really not fair that I told you something about myself and you're not saying anything about Heero. Well? Is Heero a nice guy? Does he have a record of committing a crime? What's his interest? Computers? Basketball? Or is he a dull man?"  
  
"What is it to you if he is?"  
  
"Well, I'm sitting right next to him so naturally I'd like to know if I'm sitting side by side with a pyromaniac on the loose."  
  
"I'm not a pyromaniac, you can be sure of that." Heero cracked a smile.  
  
Relena grinned and clapped her hands happily. "There! A smile, the first ever since I met you!" she giggled as Heero glared at her. "Sorry," she shook her head as she tried to keep a straight face. "It's just that I haven't seen you crack a smile since we met. It's good to know you were capable of doing that like most human beings are."  
  
"Is it really hard for you not to make it seem as if I'm not human? Or normal?"  
  
She shook her head. "Yup, it's hard for me when you keep acting like some sort of emotionally challenged robot."  
  
"You think you're funny, don't you?"  
  
"No, I know I'm funny," she chuckled. "Look, I'm just trying to make friends here. I don't intend to harm you in any way possible. Besides, I'm a just a poor, defenseless girl who was lucky enough to find this little sanctuary. You just came as an added bonus."  
  
"Now I'm an added bonus? A pyromaniac on the loose, then an emotionally challenged robot, and now a bonus? I wonder what I'll be next."  
  
Relena smiled at him, her violet eyes boring into his cobalt orbs. "Yeah, and it gets better. You're also my new friend."  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
"Are you crazy? Didn't I teach just now how to dribble properly?" Heero's harsh voice tore the silence of the afternoon.  
  
Relena blinked, looking at him then at the ball dumbly. Then she remembered what he was yelling about. "Right, sorry," she said absently. Heero shook his head in annoyance and Relena watched him discreetly.  
  
It had been three days since their meeting at the cliff. And Relena still hasn't gotten over the difference between the Heero she knew at school from the Heero she met at the cliff. Her mind had been busy the past few days comparing the two. And she concluded the Heero at school was an ass. And she liked her friend, Heero from the cliff better.  
  
"Do you plan on standing there all afternoon?"  
  
"No, I plan on annoying the hell out of you all afternoon. Can't we even have a break? My muscles are sore from standing, running and dribbling all afternoon without so much as a break to rest or drink water. I'm getting more exercise that those morons inside the gym!"  
  
"That's probably because those morons inside the gym already know how to play. Unlike someone I know who signed up for a sport he had no idea on how to play."  
  
"It's simple enough. You cause severe damage on your opponent, run away with the ball and make it sail into that little hanging thing called the basket. Isn't that so? That's how I saw you guys do it last time we played."  
  
"I don't need you to tell me all this crap."  
  
"And I don't need you to make my life seem like crap," she glared at him. "I'm going back to my room. Goodbye." Then she stalked toward the dorms, passing by the garden where James sat on the wooden bench.  
  
"Why hello there, Rey," he greeted him with a wave. "You look like you need to rest. Come here, sit next to me."  
  
Relena shook her head. "Uh, no. I'm going to my room for a shower. Thanks anyway," she said, already inching away.  
  
"Shower? May I join you?"  
  
Relena tried to keep herself from flinching, at least flinching too obviously. "Eh? No. No, I don't think so. I'd rather take my shower myself. Anyway, I need to go. Bye!" Then she started to run away again, like she did few days ago.  
  
But she heard someone running after her. She turned her head and found James grinning at her as he followed, his hooded sweatshirt clinging to his body beautifully. She had to admit. The guy was HOT! But gay. "Where are you going?" she asked, increasing her pace, praying to the gods above that he'd trip or something. Anything to make him go away.  
  
"Escorting you to your room," the boy replied, giving him a saucy grin. "Maybe you can offer me some sort of refreshments while there. Or we could take a shower together. I don't care. Just seeing you is enough."  
  
"Haven't you seen enough of me already?" she muttered under her breath as she pushed the double doors and raced toward the stairs, cursing herself for choosing a room on the fifth floor. James seemed like the type who can definitely outrun her. As she reached the last flight of stairs, she felt her left foot pulled and she felt herself toppling backwards, right into the waiting arms of James. But the momentum made him lose balance and they both rolled down the stairs, finally landing with a muted thud.  
  
Relena slowly opened her eyes and was a bit puzzled to find herself sitting on something soft instead of the hard wooden floor. She saw some of the students looking down at them from the floor above with expression varying from amused to concerned to annoyed. She heard a low groan from underneath her and she realized James had broken her fall. He was still a bit dazed from the fall and was holding his head, blinking at her. Then he smiled. "Glad you're alright, love."  
  
She stared at him for a few seconds, frozen in her spot on top of him before she hastily picked herself up and made a mad dash for the stairs, hoping he was still too dazed to stand up and follow her again. "Thanks for breaking my fall!" she shouted to him, not looking back as she took two steps at a time then throwing her door open and locking it.  
  
Now safely in her room, she heaved a sign of relief and started to catch her breath, leaning against the wooden door as she sunk on the ground, still too shocked by the events that transpired minutes ago. James was dangerous. He was the kind that women tried to avoid. He was handsome, arrogant and full of himself.  
  
Worst of all, he falls under the category of deranged stalkers.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hey, I heard you and James were going all hot and heavy by the stairs at your dorm," Duo greeted him that evening at dinner.  
  
Relena made a face as she plopped down on the chair next to him. Quatre and Trowa were missing while Wufei and Heero were already too immersed in their food to acknowledge her presence. She noticed Heero pause from his meatloaf and glance at her. She averted her eyes to her own food and shrugged. She was still a bit peeved with what happened that afternoon.  
  
"God, please don't remind me," she moaned, poking her food absently. She really had no appetite but didn't want to stay in her room that's why she came down for dinner. "I wouldn't exactly call it going all hot and heavy. More like playing cat and mouse. I swear, he's starting to creep me out."  
  
Wufei took a huge gulp of water then wiped the corners of his mouth before speaking. "Don't worry about it. He chased Heero around for half a year during first year. He'll grow tired soon enough and pick his next prey."  
  
"I sure hope so. I'm getting more and more exercise by running away from him," she replied, resting her elbow on the table to support her weight.  
  
"Mind your manners," Heero reminded her, not looking up from his food.  
  
She scowled but removed her elbows anyway. "Anyway, how's swimming, Duo? I'd love to take a swim at night to cool off. It's been pretty hot this week, hasn't it?" The minute the words left her mouth, she regretted them.  
  
"Why don't we take a swim then?" her braided friend suggested. "I'm sure I can have the pool opened up for us. The only condition everyone has to agree to is that they were the whistle."  
  
"That silver whistle?" Wufei asked, pushing away his plate. "Sure. Besides, it's for our good anyway."  
  
Anyone who wanted to swim at night at the school's Olympic sized pool was required to wear a nylon strand with a silver whistle on it. You sound the alarm using the whistle so anyone nearby would hear it and come to your rescue.  
  
"Oh, sorry but I can't come," she said, feigning regret in her voice. "I just remembered I'm not that good a swimmer."  
  
"Who says you need to be good?" Wufei said. "Besides, Duo here can help you out. It'll be fun. And it was your idea anyway."  
  
"Yeah, why can't you come?" Heero asked, mildly curious. Reynald had been acting strange since the first time he got there and now, some of that oddity was returning. He's always had this feeling that there was something the newcomer wasn't telling them.  
  
Relena's eyes widened as she felt herself trapped. Why can't she come? Why the hell did she have to open her big mouth anyway? "I never really told you guys but." Her friends looked at her in concern as her voice lowered and she looked down on her plate.  
  
"But what, Rey?" Duo asked. "It's okay, you can tell us."  
  
"I almost drowned when I was small. I was about six then when my family went to a resort to relax and I almost drowned. I guess it's still a bit hard for me to forget about the feeling of helplessness when I'm swimming," she said, not being able to stop herself from pouring out more lies. She hated lying but she had no choice. "I can't look at a pool without fainting."  
  
When she looked up, the people around her were all silent. Duo was looking at her in concern as Wufei nodded his head in an understanding gesture while Heero just shrugged and went back to eating. She inwardly frowned. Had she gone too far with the fainting remark?  
  
"It's okay," Duo said. "I'm sorry we were too persistent. Don't worry, we won't force you to come with us to the pool. Are you alright now?"  
  
She nodded mutely, eyes widening like a child's. "It's okay, you guys didn't know," she smiled. But deep inside, she was banging her head against an imaginary wall. Lying was one of the things she detested the most. And the fact that she was lying to her friends-probably the only ones she has from the whole student population of the academy-didn't help make things easier. "Um, I'm done," she said quietly, pushing away the plate after giving the bland meatloaf one last poke with her fork.  
  
Her friends nodded silently. Probably pitying poor Reynald in the privacy of their heads, she thought sullenly. Why did I have to open my big mouth anyway? Gaah! You're losing it, Darlain. Whatever happened to surviving the remaining weeks?  
  
Her friends were done with their food soon after and had agreed to look for the other two to invite them to go to the pool with them. As she broke away from the others when they passed by her dorm, she couldn't help but regret lying to them and missing the chance to swim. It really had been too hot the past few days and the cold water of the pool would've been a welcome distraction.  
  
Unfortunately, taking a swim with the guys on the pool will mean revealing her secret. And she wasn't about to lose to the bet and go home just after a week. She determined to wipe the smug smile off Dorothy's face, even if it meant natural sauna baths.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Relena passed the ball to Heero with refined agility that even the boy was impressed with how well she played in just two weeks.  
  
"The secret in basketball is really simple. It's all in the body. If your body's done this move or that a million times before, then it's really easy for you. Take shooting for example. For most players who've played almost all their lives, it's almost purely reflex. It's semi-automatic," Heero explained, shooting the ball accurately.  
  
Relena nodded, taking in all that he was saying. She may not like him that much but she couldn't deny that the boy knew what he was talking about. Heero threw her the ball and she was asked to practice shooting from under the basket this time.  
  
Relena bit her lip in an effort to hide her smile. She saw how easy lay-up shots were made and she knew she'd have no trouble doing it. But just like everything in life, things always seem easy when in fact it's not.  
  
"You have to jump a bit higher-not that high!"  
  
The girl growled under her breath, feeling sweat dripping down her back as Heero showed her for the nth time that afternoon. The sun was beating hard on her back and she had lost count how often she wished she could dive into the cool water of the pool. Looking on the bright side, at least she was having one hell of an exercise. She hadn't realized how out of shape she'd been. Now she could run two meters without having to catch her breath.  
  
"Maybe we'll have lay-up shots tomorrow. Why don't we have the afternoon off?" Heero suggested.  
  
Relena looked up from where she was tying the lace of her rubber shoes. It was the first time Heero suggested they cut the day's activities short. It wasn't even two yet! "Are we going somewhere?"  
  
"It's not any of your business."  
  
"I was just asking. Who knows, you might be running off to meet a pretty lady that's why you're giving me the afternoon off."  
  
"Forgive me if I was too presumptuous to think you deserved it. If you'd rather sweat under the sun, then I'd be happy to oblige. Pass me the ball, Dorian."  
  
Oops.  
  
"Sorry," she said lowly, feeling a bit silly. She couldn't understand it but she always felt kind of annoyed at Heero for no reason. She always had this urge to annoy the life out of him whenever possible.  
  
"Was that an apology or had I been under the sun too long that I only imagined that whispered word?"  
  
"You know what it is."  
  
"I'll have to hear it again just to be sure. I seem to have forgotten my hearing aid, you know. I need to be sure before I jump for joy with the realization you're capable of apologies."  
  
"I was apologizing before but never mind," she replied, feeling her temper flare. Why the hell did he always pick on her anyway? "I really don't know what your problem is but can you tell me, am I the only guy here that gives you pleasure by torturing?"  
  
"Whatever gave you the idea I like torturing you? And to find pleasure in it as well? Sorry but I'm not into S&M, Dorian. And you're not my type."  
  
Relena's cheeks burned and she stood up. "Very funny," she said, trying to cover her embarrassment. "I'll be going now since I don't think I can take any more of the bad air permeating the place." With that, she marched off, all the while hoping the damn blush would leave her face.  
  
She didn't know why she was so affected anyway. Not his type right? We'll see! That stupid, stupid idiot!  
  
  
  
TBC  
  
======  
  
Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me!  
  
C&C are much appreciated, needed and craved for. Send 'em to kuroi_22@hotmail.com  
  
=======  
  
Many thanks to those who reviewed and gave comments. I really do appreciate it. And I'm sorry if it took me forever to come up with this part. I'm working on a number of fics right now and that's still not counting the other fics I'm supposed to work on so if things are a bit slow. sorry.  
  
I really do want to finish this fic, I've got ideas and stuff, it's just a matter of writing and elaborating. _ Oh, well. But anyway, thanks for those who emailed me and urged to write more [you know who you are]. It helped. Thankies! ::glompies:: 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimers: not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

Notes: another fic to add to the other series ficcies I've been busy with. ^^;; it's 1 in the morning (this is the only time creative juices are flowing within me so I guess I'm kinda nocturnal) so coherent thinking and Kuroi Tenshi in the same sentence is very much unlikely. Please be warned accordingly. ^_^ 

And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Uhm, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it, definitely, especially this part. But that's to be expected since this _is_ taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk.

Bunch of thankies to those who reviewed thank you so, so much! ::glomps reviewers:: I really do appreciate it. I hope no one minds if I don't mention names, but rest assured I treasure each and every one of you. ^_^ (Yes, I'm going overboard with the drama. Hehe). Thanks, as well, to those who gave suggestions. I'm trying to work it into the story as I see it fit. Thankies! And sorry if it took me another lifetime to post the next part. I plead "Student, please have mercy." ^__^ 

One last: TO LINDA: You haven't been reading my mind lately, have you? I was thinking of having the girls visit in the later chapters…OH! But I'm revealing too much of the plot now, I better stop. Hehe. Cookies for you! ^______^

============

Part 3

"What will it take for you to open this door, Dorian?" Heero called out from the other side of the door, relentlessly turning the knob in vain. When he was met with silence, he gave it another kick, wincing a bit as the pain of the blow traveled from his toes to the whole of his left foot. "Damn door. Damn Dorian."

He wasn't exactly thrilled to be spending—_wasting_—his morning convincing the stupid prat to open the door and let him in. He knew it was mortifying for the newcomer to be publicly humiliated by the Snort Squad (composed primarily of James' own drooling devotees). But he had to deal with it like a man.

"Look, that's the price some pay for being James' current love interest. You really ought to let it go. It was just a harmless prank anyway," Heero said, trying to reason with him. 

Three doors left, someone shouted from inside his room. "Listen to Yuy, Dorian. Open that friggin' door already and let him in so we can all have some peace and quiet around here!"

Two floors up, someone shouted a response. "Shut up, Evans, I can hear you from up here, dammit! I didn't pay 500 grand just to listen to you holler, man! SHUT THE HELL UP!"

"Do you hear that? You're causing a bit of an uproar here, open the door!" Heero shouted again, resuming his task of pounding on the wooden barrier.

"Yuy, either you shut the hell up or I'm calling for someone to throw your sorry ass out!" someone shouted few doors from his right. "Dorian, open the damn door already!"

Heero didn't know what was worse. Reynald's steadfast refusal in opening the damn door and letting him in or the annoying yelling of the people in the building. Either way, he was losing his patience fast. What the hell possessed those assholes to pull a prank of Rey in front of the whole school anyway? 

Oh, right. They were jealous.

Shaking his head, Heero twisted the knob futilely again. The price you pay for being too damn cute and irresistible. "I'm giving you exactly one minute to open the door. Otherwise, you will have to manage with a broken door."

"Look, that's the price some pay for being James' current love interest. You really ought to let it go. It was just a harmless prank anyway," Heero said from the other side of the door.

"It's not like I asked James to like me in the first place!" Relena said through clenched teeth, scrubbing the hideous neon green paint off her face. The fact that it was only semi-temporary gave her no comfort at all.

_"Don't worry, cute boy, it'll wash away after a week!" _

She could still hear the groups' laughter in her mind and it only managed to increase her annoyance and frustration. "Does this look like a harmless prank to you?" she asked, glaring at her reflection on the mirror. Half of her face was covered with the godforsaken paint and her wig was damaged beyond repair. It was a good thing she had a spare but nothing was going to salvage her bangs, which were dyed neon green as of the moment.

"Look on the bright side, at least this kills all notions of dying your hair green," she said to the reflection, trying to ignore the urge to throw open her door and strangle each and every member of the Snort Squad. All four of them. With her bare hands. Strangled to death. By her.

Taking deep breaths, she finally calmed down and psychotic Relena grudgingly made her way back deep in her subconscious. It would do her no good to be locked up in prison (or asylum, for that matter). There was still a large streak of green across her forehead that no amount of washing could remove so she left it to that, vowing to get even.

And get even she will.

"You've provoked the wrong man—woman, Snort Squad," she said, removing her now-ruined wig and replacing it with a new one. Fixing it on place, she gave her reflection a fierce look. "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. But in this case, I won't take any of the gross stuff. I'll settle for a prank for a prank."

The ones listed on top of her hit list were Ryan Goyle, Patrick Jones, Conner McDough and Jordan Lawrence. All senior students; all devoted fans of James Reyes. All going to pay for what they did.

"THIS IS WAR!" she exclaimed, throwing open the door and coming face to face with Heero. "Move over, Yuy. You wouldn't want to be caught between crossfire, would you? This is serious," she said gravely.

Then Heero burst out laughing.

She sighed impatiently then crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine, laugh all you want, Yuy. But this streak of paint on my forehead shall be my battle scar—stop touching it, dammit! It won't wash so don't even say anything. AND STOP LAUGHING, DAMMIT!"

~*~*~*~

"I'm not going to ask about the bandanna that's covering your forehead," Duo said the moment Relena sat on their usual table that evening. "But can I ask you this one thing?"

"Shoot."

"Are you thinking of murder right now?"

Relena took a long sip from her glass and shook her head. "No, but they might after I'm through with them." She gave them a sly smile.

Duo leaned closer, interest obvious in his big purple eyes. "Ooh, you're gonna get even?"

"But getting even's not nice," Quatre frowned. "Don't stoop to their level. You can do much better than that."

"Exactly."

"But I thought you were going to get even," Trowa's brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I am."

"You lost me there," Wufei shrugged.

"I'm going to do much better than their prank. It's so… low. I think I can do much better," she replied, feeling proud of herself. Perhaps for the first time in her life, this is the first devious thing she's going to do (her pretending to be a boy and enrolling at SKA not included of course). "This is war."

"Don't wanna be part of it," Quatre said. "I think it's better if you just ignore them and forgive them for what they did. It'll die on its own soon enough."

"I'm with Quatre," Trowa said, leaning back on his chair.

"Why am I not surprised?" Wufei commented, making them both blush, to which Relena only raised an eyebrow at. Was she missing something here?

"Well, count me in. I haven't forgiven them for the pigtails they made my hair into at freshmen year. I think it's high time they learn they lesson…again," Duo grinned. "What about you, Wufei?"

"I think I'll pass, they haven't done anything to me anyway. Plus I'm kinda busy with my reports for Chem. But keep me updated. I could use a few good laughs once in a while."

"Heero will definitely want to keep out of this," Relena said, gesturing at the empty seat next to her. "He's the type who lets you fight your own fight and stuff like that. Oh, well! I think we can manage anyway."

"More than manage. They'll wish they never heard of the names Reynald Dorian and Duo Maxwell when we're through with them," Duo chuckled. "This is going to be so much fun…"

"Damn, Rey, I didn't think they'd be that cruel to use glow in the dark," Duo said, trying his damnedest to stifle his laughter as his friend crept ahead of him.

"Shut up," Relena said, resisting the urge to strangle _Duo_ instead. The bandanna covering her forehead was more important now that it was dark. They'd be dead if anyone caught them sneaking around the dorms.

"669, east wing, right?" she whispered, stopping in front of the door with said number. It seemed dark from the inside. She tried the knob and wasn't surprised to find it locked. "This is where you come in, Duo. Make me proud."

"Sure will," Duo replied, taking a hairpin from his hair and within seconds, they were creeping along the walls of the room. He heard a startled gasp from Relena and looked at her, puzzled.

She showed him the life-sized poster of Britney Spears hanging on the wall with flowers at her foot. "Oh, my god," she exclaimed, the color draining from her face. "I can't believe this… As if James isn't bad enough, Jordan's a devotee of Britney "Descendant of Barney" Spears as well? Ugh. I think that's my dinner, pushing its way to freedom to be one with the porcelain bowl."

"Who would've thought?" Duo said, still looking at the blonde with fake boobs in shock. "I think I'm going to be scarred for life. The nightmares…"

"Let's get this done with so we can leave this horror house," she said, shaking her head to remove the offending image off her mind. She crept toward the bathroom and used her penlight to get the right bottle and do what they came there for.

"I'm done, let's go," she said, pulling the still shocked Duo with her out the door. "Patrick and Ryan are roommates, right? Makes things so much easier for us…"

"This is Conner's room, right?" Duo said, pausing in front of a door with a huge sign saying "Gorgeous Hunk's Abode." The door was unlocked, much to their surprise. "Let's get him before the two, it'll save us time."

After making sure it was safe, the two snuck into the room, blending with the darkness perfectly. The room was relatively small and the lamp by the bed was lit. The bed's occupant was missing.

They heard footsteps from outside and they both jumped into the closet, praying Conner wouldn't decide to rummage through his wardrobe that late an hour. They had a great view of the bed and the closet across it, aside from the one where they were currently hiding in.

Conner locked the door behind him and they heard him making his way toward the bedroom. He stopped by the chair next to the window and they saw him bend over it. Conner resumed his way toward the bedroom, carrying a small teddy bear.

Duo's jaw dropped and Relena wondered how revealing this night was turning out to be. She was thankful that at least he didn't have an altar for Britney.

He gently set the bear on the bed and smiled at it. "Teddy, you know what? Today was fun. We taught that pesky Reynald a lesson. Hmph! I have to agree though, he _is _cute and _very_ attractive."

Relena felt herself blush and Duo elbowed her not too gently. I'm not hearing this, she screamed in her mind._ This is all a dream; I'm not hearing this!_

"But a lesson has to be taught. James has been paying him too much attention. He had to be stopped. But don't you just love the way he looked so cute with green paint all over him?" Conner laughed. "I know. We'll have him soon enough, okay?" he picked up the bear and laughed again.

Relena shivered. Maybe getting even was a bad idea. James' horde of admirers is turning to be more and more psychotic as the seconds trickled by. Who knows how they'll retaliate?

"Oh! I'm sleepy, Teddy!" Conner exclaimed, placing the bear on the bed again. "I know, I won't forget the nightly ritual, silly bear!" Conner walked toward the closet and opened it, revealing a mini-shrine for—you guessed it, James Reyes.

There was a framed picture of James looking so handsome hanging on the wall and there were flowers as well. And there were candles all over the shrine, with pictures of James in all possible angles, poses and sizes pasted all over the closet walls.

After paying homage to his god, Conner stood up from where he was kneeling and closed the closet. He switched off the lamp and slid into the covers. "Now, for the mantra," he paused and took a deep breath. "James loves me, James loves me, James loves me."

After a few minutes when Relena was sure he was asleep, they slipped out of the closet and let out the breath they've been holding.

"Oh, shit," Duo said, blinking in shock.

"I think I'll go do what we came her for," Relena said, walking toward the bathroom mechanically, still numb and shocked from all the events that unfolded right before her eyes. She took the tube and replaced its contents.

When she returned to the bedroom, Duo was staring at Conner, still asleep. "What're you doing?" she asked.

"Studying him. I mean, who the hell would've thought these people are this twisted?" he replied, pointing at the closet and at the bear he was snuggling with.

"Hmm…James, yes, there… oh!" Conner moaned in his sleep, making them both turn pink.

"I think I've had enough. That's it for tonight. Don't forget tomorrow, dawn," she said, inching away from the boy who was obviously having a—ahem!—dream about James. At the last moment, not being able to resist the urge, she threw the contents of the box of thumbtacks she brought across the floor. "That'll teach you to think I'm cute and attractive!" she glared at the sleeping figure and left after Duo.

"Are you sure we won't get in trouble for this?" she asked uncertainly, carrying the jar of dye and showing it to Duo. "I don't think getting kicked out of the school is worth any prank."

"You won't be kicked out, I'm telling you. You're rich right? All you gotta do is promise a hefty donation and you're guaranteed to stay here till the day you graduate. Besides, the principal's not here. The assistant principal's not that tough, all we'll get is detention to clean it and all—if we get caught, which we won't."

"Why not?"

"Because if they tell on us, we'll tell them they're the ones who started it. And they don't have witnesses anyway. They can just assume and accuse us since there aren't any hard evidences pointing to us."

"Why do I have the feeling you've done this before?"

"I've had a history," Duo winked and Relena chuckled. "Anyway, I wonder what the hell's up to those two, swimming at dawn. They better wear the whistle or else no more very early swim for them."

"That's strange, they're not here. I thought you said they always take a swim in one of the smaller pools every six in the morning. Are we too early?"

"They might be late," Duo replied. "Anyway, let's get crackin' I don't wanna be caught putting dye in the pool."

Relena grinned. "You know, I love the way your mind works. This definitely beats the other two. This is plain nasty."

"You don't wanna go through it?"

"Are you crazy? Hell, no! Pour the entire thing into the water!" she grinned, loving every minute of it.

Once they were done, they decided to stop by the shower room to wash away the dye that inevitably clung to their hands. "Do you think they still plan on showing up?" Relena asked, still worried their prey wouldn't come.

"I'm sure they will, I've been told—did you hear that?"

They held their breaths and listened intently. Sure enough, there was ragged breathing echoing from the shower stalls. Relena's eyes widened while Duo's eyes twinkled in delight.

"Harder, Pat!"

"...oh, gods…" someone moaned in response.

"Oh, shit," Relena mouthed, red washing over her. Nothing could've prepared her for that. Even Conner's mini-shrine seemed tame and normal compared to this.

"...ooohh… Ryan…"

"…Faster!"

They met each other's eyes and without speaking, they both made a beeline for the exit. Once safely in Relena's dorm, Duo collapsed on the bed while Relena sat on the floor, clutching her stomach, laughing uncontrollably.

"Fuck, nothing beats hearing Ryan and Patrick shagging in the shower room!" Duo exclaimed, wiping the tear at the corner of his eyes. "I think this night's visit proved to be too revealing, even for me."

"I agree," Relena said, still laughing. "God! I thought Conner was the worst. My insides haven't recovered yet, I need to lie down…"

"And I need to get back to my room before any of them find out," Duo said, standing up from the bed and making his way toward the door. "It'll give us an alibi. Remember, you and I have been asleep in our beds the whole night."

Relena nodded, grinning at Duo. ""Yup, and we know nothing about the whole Paint Attack." They both burst out laughing. "I can't wait for them to find out."

At exactly six thirty-five in the morning, the whole academy was awakened by simultaneous blood-curling screams coming from the general direction of the pool. At six forty, someone at the third floor of the South Dorm, another scream served as a wake-up call for those who missed the earlier alarm. Two floors up, another scream was heard. At precisely seven o'clock in the morning, two teenagers pulled off the covers with wide grins across their faces.

~*~*~*~

"I don't suppose you have anything to do with what happened this morning?" Quatre said sternly the second Relena and Duo sat for breakfast.

"What're you talking about?" Duo asked, eyes wide and looking as innocent as ever. He shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about. I can understand about you, Duo but you, Rey?" Quatre said, turning to Relena, who was sipping her orange juice quietly next to him. He gave her a disapproving shake of his head and sighed. "Don't you think the thumbtacks were too much?"

"Someone placed thumbtacks? On the wall?" Relena asked, looking at him with surprise etched on her face. "But they're for that purpose, aren't they?"

"No, they're not for people to sprinkle quite generously at someone's floor," Trowa butted in, taking Quatre's side as usual. "I'm surprised you haven't been caught yet."

"But why? Did I do anything wrong, Duo?" Relena asked, turning to her friend who only shrugged in reply. She frowned. "If I remember correctly, it was them who bathed me with neon green paint, which by the way is glow in the dark. Am I in trouble for that?"

"You know what we're talking about. Fine, be that way. But don't say we didn't warn you. You could get in trouble for this," Quatre sighed in defeat.

Relena shrugged and continued to drink her juice then grinned. "Do you think they're okay? Whoever did those pranks must've had a grudge," she said, shaking her head. "It's sad how vindictive some people can be."

"I'm sure you know exactly how those pranksters feel," Heero said, placing his tray on the table. "In case you're wondering, yes, I just left the office. They were asking me if Duo's been asleep in our room the whole time."

"And what did you say?" Relena asked casually, ignoring the rapid beating of her heart. "Did they really think we were behind it?"

"We know you are," Heero replied.

She made a face. "You've got no proof."

"Are you sure?" Heero challenged.

"Do you?"

"Are you worried?"

"Are you done flirting?" Wufei asked, speaking for the first time that morning. "Because I don't want to lose my appetite, I like to start my day with a full stomach."

"We're not flirting!" they both said at the same time, glaring at Wufei.

"And the fact that Ryan and Patrick dyed blue all over is a dream."

As Relena was making her way toward the basketball to meet Heero that afternoon, she was cornered by the Snort Squad at the flagstone walkway.

When Relena caught sight of them, she burst out laughing. She thought nothing could beat her neon green forehead. Boy, was she wrong!

"You think this is funny, Dorian?" Patrick snapped, gesturing at his blue skin and Ryan's as well. Conner's normally dark mahogany hair was dyed bright orange while Jordan had bright pink hair instead of his silken blond strands.

"Well, you gotta admit, it looks a bit funny," she shrugged, fighting the grin from breaking through her face. All her attempts remained futile.

"We'll get even, Dorian, just you wait. We'll get even," Jordan threatened.

"Did your goddess Britney promise you victory after last night's flower offering?" she said under her breath. "Hey, hey, look at it this way, we're even."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Conner exclaimed. "You can't call this even. I feel violated!"

"You're lucky no evidence was found pointing to you otherwise it's goodbye, Dorian!" Ryan said. "But maybe you won't be too careful next time."

"You're right, no evidence was found saying that I did any of these," she retorted. "So that means you can't be too sure I'm the one responsible for all the colors decorating the school. At least it's livelier here than usual."

"We don't need solid proof to know it's you," Patrick said. "But keep this is mind. This isn't the end of it. You haven't heard the last of us, Dorian." With that said, they turned their backs against her and started to walk away.

Relena made a face then grinned. "It sure is a little bright in here," she called after them. "You might want to tone down the colors a bit, boys!" She laughed as she saw Patrick's ears turn pink and Conner hold Jordan before he made a mad dash for the dorms.

"That's really pushing your luck, Dorian," a voice said from behind her.

She whirled around and saw Heero leaning against a tree and watching her with a small amused smile. She shrugged. "Hey, I had to retaliate."

"And retaliate you did."

"I'm good, aren't I?" she said, smiling cheekily as she fell into step next to him. When he gave no response she sighed. It was back to silence for the whole of afternoon again. She almost jumped when Heero spoke.

"But I have to give it to you, pulling blue boy act on Ryan and Patrick was really good," he said then joining her in laughter.

Tbc

Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me! ^_^ Send 'em over at kuroi_22@hotmail.com


	4. Part 4

Disclaimers: not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

Notes: another fic to add to the other series ficcies I've been busy with. ^^;;  it's 1 in the morning (this is the only time creative juices are flowing within me so I guess I'm kinda nocturnal) so coherent thinking and Kuroi Tenshi in the same sentence is very much unlikely. Please be warned accordingly. ^_^ 

            And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Uhm, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it, definitely, especially this part. But that's to be expected since this _is taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk._

**To The Infamous Shiro Kitsune: this one's for you. Thanks for the suggestion. I'm grateful and much, much happy for the review and suggestion. I'm using it in the fic (you'll see! ^_^) Thankies! ::glompies::**

===========

Part 4

            "What're you doing?"

            Relena turned and flashed her companion a smile. She spread her arms around her then wrapped them around her lithe body, closing her eyes and savoring the moment. After a while, she took her seat next to him. "Relishing the moment," she replied.

            It had been two weeks since her first encounter with Heero as herself on the cliff and it wasn't the second time they met at their sanctuary. Relena found Heero a pleasant company and she enjoyed spending most of the evening watching the waves and stars with him.

            She looked up the sky and smiled. "Would you believe there was a point in my life I wanted to be an astrologer? I asked my father to buy me this high-tech telescope and I'd plead for him to let me stay up late just watching the stars," she confided.

            "Don't you wanna be one now?"

            "I still enjoy watching the stars but I feel my calling's totally different from that career path. I'm going to be a diplomat, just like father."

            "Just like father," Heero repeated, his tone hushed. "I envy you…"

            She paused and stared at him, studying his features. "I don't understand. You seem to me like the kind of man who's got his whole future ahead of him. You act so confident and sure of yourself. I'm just a silly girl, why would you envy me?"

            "Because you're silly."

            "Oh, I get the logic in that," Relena rolled her eyes. "I find it irksome that I've been sitting here with you for four nights and still I know nothing about you other than you study at SKA and that you don't like talking much. Oh, and you also talk weird."

            "I talk weird?"

            "'Because you're silly,'" Relena said, imitating Heero's deep voice then chuckling. "C'mon! I'm not going to spread it around. Keeping everything bottled up inside isn't healthy."

            "You remind me of someone I can't get out of my mind lately," he commented.

            "Does that mean you're interested in this person?" She asked, eyes twinkling.

            The question caught him off guard. Did he like the person he meant? "Hell, no!" he said. "I can't get him out of my mind because he's too annoying, just like you are. You're like his female version."

            "So he's a guy," she said. "What makes us seem similar? He's got to be cute if he's going to be likened to me."

            "Other than being annoying, you're both cocky as hell," he replied, cracking a smile. "And he's open with his feelings, in a way… like you are. Though there are times I sense he's hiding something.

            "He's always full of spirit. And he's always smiling…unless we're practicing basketball; he's always frowning then. But still… I admire his determination. I'm sure he doesn't realize it but whenever I see him practice with me, his eyes are always focused, as if he's giving it all that he's got. And I admire that in him."

            "I'm sure he's fun to be with," she replied, smiling a little as she played with her braids.

            "You don't know how much. He and my other friend have been in this constant prank war the past week. I'm just thankful the assistant principal finally put a stop on it. I was getting sick of waking up early in the morning with people screeching like mad.

            "Just this Friday, they dyed two of the ones they were against with blue. I have to admit though, that was funny. Nothing could beat that," Heero chuckled a little at the image of Ryan and Patrick dyed blue still fresh in his mind.

            When he looked at her, she flashed him a tender smile and sighed happily. "I'm glad," she said.

            "Glad? For what?"

            "That you're finally talking. I was hoping you'd open up to me one day and… my prayers have been answered at last. You're confiding in me like a friend does."

            Heero blushed. "Does my friendship mean that much to you?"

            For a moment, she only smiled in response than nodded. "More than you'll ever know."

~*~*~*~

            "Why are we so cheery this morning?"

            Relena shook her head and took a bite off her toast and looked around the table. "I'm not surprised that both Quatre and Trowa are missing but where's Wufei and Heero?"

            "Wufei's at the library, doing some last minute research for his experiment this afternoon. He's happy it's gonna be his last as he's going to take tennis after Advanced Chem. Heero's probably doing some exercise. He's been unusually cheerful this morning. Something weird's going on, I'm telling you," Duo said, waving his fork in front of her. "Speaking of which, why are _you so happy?"_

            "No reason, I just thought I'd start the day with a smile. Is that a crime?"

            Duo studied her for a heartbeat or two before sighing. "Spill—or will I have to torture it out of you?"

            She made a face. "Very funny. There's nothing to tell," she said, gulping her orange juice. "Hey, this juice is good. I can't believe the kitchen staff is learning to make decent meals now. There are miracles in this world after all."

            Her friend stared at her then shrugged. "I'll find what's up out soon enough."

            Relena turned, examining her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was wearing her usual jogging pants and a baggy hooded shirt. She took another one from her closet and placed it on top of the one she's wearing. She frowned, at lost whether she should wear the black shirt or the dark green one.

            Shaking her head reproachfully, she threw the black shirt on the chair nearby and sighed, wondering what was wrong with her. She never cared about what she wore to practice before, why the sudden change?

            Stupid, stupid, stupid! She hit her head, annoyed at herself. She couldn't believe how silly she was acting. All because…

            Her mobile phone rang and she plopped down on the beanbag chair wearily as she answered it. "Hello?"

            "Lena!"

            It was Hilde. She felt guilty for forgetting all about them the past weeks. She hadn't even called her to give her daily progress report. And she had completely forgotten all about Cathy's brother! "Hilde! What a surprise," she said.

            "A good one, I hope," her friend said at the other line. "I just called to check on you. We haven't heard from you in a while and Dorothy's been driving us up the wall saying you're having the time of your life getting jiggy with some boy there. She's crazy, I know," she laughed.

            "Yeah, I see she's still missing a few screws," she laughed, ignoring the hot blush on her face. "So what's up with you guys? I hope you're having fun at the dorms…"

            "So much fun, we wish you could come and join us. We've been partying in Dorothy's room all week—I'm surprised no one's busted us yet. We've been keeping the neighbors up all night—so they kinda joined the party as well," her friend laughed.

            Relena nodded, though she knew her friend couldn't see. She missed her friends and Hilde calling and telling her all about their nightly escapades did nothing to quench her desire to be back at their dorms and join their partying.

            "So how had you been?"

            The question brought her back from her temporary reverie and Relena bit her lip. "I'm okay. I've had a run-in with a group of stupid people but that's all in the past now. It's been fun, actually. And I have friends who're helping me adjust to the school."

            "And Cathy's brother?" When she was met with silence, Hilde laughed. "I knew it, you completely forget about him, didn't you? Admit it!"

            "I still have three and a half weeks!" she tried to defend herself.

            Her friend laughed. "No need to get all defensive on me, Relena. Besides, Cathy said you don't really have to tire yourself out anyway. From what she said few days ago, she talked to him and all that. He's okay, she's sure."

            "But I still haven't done what I promised," she pouted, standing up and walking toward the window. She pushed aside the curtains and watched the track team run. "I'm sure I've met her brother before, maybe I just haven't realized it. I mean, we all eat together, right?"

            "Don't sweat it, girl."

            "But I wanna," she whined, smiling slightly. Reynald Dorian may never be caught whining but for Relena Darlain, whining like a child was one of her favorite things to do. One reason for it was because she knew it annoyed the hell out of people. And she liked doing that, acting like a small bratty girl, especially on Hilde. Only few people understood her and her twisted needs.

            "I really miss you guys," she said earnestly, closing the curtains and going back to the chair. "It's been so long since I've had female companionship. If I'm asked to judge another Who-can-fart-loudest Contest this evening, I'm going to start tearing my hair. Why do guys have to be so gross?" she asked.

            "It's all part of the charm," her friend answered. "At least you'll know who's really gross when they're not trying to impress someone. The scary thing about dating is that you don't really know how that guy is when you're not together. At least you get to see their true colors."

            "I think I'll be happy just with their bogus front than be totally grossed out," she made a face. "But hey, I'm actually having fun. Hard to believe, isn't it?"

            "Yes, Little Miss Sheltered from the World Darlain having fun in the company of members from the opposite sex." Hilde paused. "Have you met someone?"

            An image of a certain obnoxious young man came to mind but she shook her head and frowned. "Nope, still uninterested in them…"

            "You're lying!"

            "What? Where'd you get that?"

            "As your best friend, give me more credit than that. You've met someone, you just won't admit it… or you haven't realized it yet," Hilde said slowly, understanding dawning on her. "That's probably it," she said, ignoring Relena's sputtering protests on the other line. "That's just so like you not to realize you're interested in someone when in fact you are."

            "I am most certainly not!"

            "Darling, have you ever heard of the word SLOW?"

            "Are you implying I'm slow?"

            She was met with laughter. "This is too much," Hilde said, still laughing a little. "Dorothy's going to have a field day when she hears about this. And your brother—no, wait, he'll kill us—mainly me—once he finds out…"

            "He won't," Relena assured her friend. "And like I said before I left for SKA, I'll be pleading on your behalf so it's most probable you'll live."

            "That sounds really comforting," her friend snorted. "Anyway, keep me posted about lover boy, okay? We're playing tennis this afternoon, I need to get ready. I'll call you some time later tonight—what's his name again?"

            "It's no one," the longhaired blonde insisted. "I wish you'd get it through that thick skull of yours—I'M NOT INTERESTED IN ANYBODY!"

            "Sure, sure, I get ya," Hilde chuckled. "Anyway, here's Dorothy now. Have to go, bye!"

            "Yeah, bye," she replied, although her friend had already ended the call. She stared at the phone in her hand and frowned. "I'm not interested in him."

~*~*~*~

            "Guess what?"

            "What?" Relena's brow furrowed. She was still a little vexed about the conversation she had with Hilde that afternoon. And Heero canceling on her that afternoon did nothing to make her feel better. She was hoping shooting some hoops would at least help alleviate the sudden adrenaline rush she was experiencing.

            Duo sat at his usual place next to Relena on their table that evening. "Guess who's throwing a party later tonight in his dorm?"

            "You're throwing a party?" she asked, eyes growing wide.

            "No way, Heero will never let just anyone come in our room. He prizes the non-existent neatness and orderliness of our room. Rafael Ricci's throwing a little exclusive bash in his room late this night—and guess who's going?"

            "Good for you," Relena cheered on her friend. "I know your name's never off the guest list of _any party. Tell me all about it in the morning, 'kay?"_

            "No need for that," Duo said proudly. "'Cause we're all going."

            Quatre's eyes widened. "Really? Cool! I've always liked the parties thrown by Rafe. …Though he didn't invite me last time since I kneed him for kissing me," he frowned. "You're coming, right, Trowa?"

            Trowa nodded. "Ricci kissed you, huh? I'll be there."

            "I don't like missing all the action _and drama," Wufei said, eyeing the blond and the tall brunette. "I'm there."_

            "So am I," Relena said. "This is going to be the first guys' dorm party I'll attend. This ought to be interesting."

            "First?" Duo asked.

            "Home-schooling, remember?" she said, thinking fast. "Wait, what about Heero? Isn't he coming?"

            "I dunno," Duo shrugged. "Heero's not really that much of a party animal. He doesn't like crowds that much. But maybe I'll convince him to go, who knows."

            She nodded. "Yeah, who knows," she smiled, already counting the hours till the party starts. She couldn't wait!

            "Will I be able to survive tonight?" she wondered aloud as she stared at her reflection for the second time that day. She was wearing baggy pants and a hooded black three-fourths. The shirt was a bit more fitting than her usual loose shirt but it didn't cling so her bound breast wasn't obvious. But still, she couldn't help but worry that something would happen and she'd be exposed.

            She turned and eyed her reflection critically. "Have we achieved the head-turning, drool-worthy look now?" she asked the image and sighed. She fixed the wig and secured it in place using hairpins before turning in front of the mirror again. "Will we catch his eye with this?" she asked.

            Then frowned. "Why do we care if we catch his eye anyway? He's not worth Relena Darlain or Reynald Dorian's time. He's cocky, obnoxious and so far, he's the defending champion of the Who-can-fart-loudest Contest. He's a boy. He's gross.

            "But he's got the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen," she sighed, smiling slightly. Then shook her head fiercely. "Focus, Relena!" she reproached herself. "You're forgetting the reason why you're here. You're here because 1) you lost that darn poker game to Dorothy, 2) to check on Cathy's brother and 3)…NOT TO FALL FOR ANYONE. You're not here to look for a boyfriend. Boyfriends are useless, they're a waste of time."

            She collapsed on the beanbag chair and made a face. Things were not going as planned. Her stay at SKA was already halfway over and she hadn't succeeded in any of the three aforementioned tasks. She still sucked at poker and she was still clueless at who Cathy's brother is. She hadn't realized SKA had that many students with the surname Bloom.

            And now she was mooning over some idiot whose idea of intimate discussion is shutting up and closing your eyes. How vexing.

            Someone knocked on her door and Relena shot up, straightening her clothes and hair before opening the wooden barrier just a peek. "Yes?"

            "Yo, Rey, ready?"

            "Duo! I'll be out in a while, give me a minute to get my keys then we can go," she replied, closing the door again. As much as she wanted to let her friend in to sit while he waited, she couldn't. Her underwear and clothes were strewn all over the room. There was no need to give him any ideas.

            After a moment, the door opened again and Relena walked out, making sure to lock the door behind her. She greeted her friend then took a deep breath; she couldn't help but feel nervous and excited at the same time. "Shall we go?"

~*~*~*~

            Relena looked around tautly. Around her people were dancing to the pulse of the music, shaking their bodies in wild abandon. She checked her watch and sighed. Three hours after arriving with Duo (who seem to have disappeared in search of food) and spending said three hours or if you want it in minutes, 10800, or if you want it in seconds, 648000 (yes, she was that bored and out of place) she was starting to slowly loose whatever little sanity she had left.

            To her left, the guy occupying the room next to hers slumped against the wall, looking dazed and Relena need not be a rocket scientist to know he was wasted. He turned to her. "Dorian, right?"

            She nodded mutely, subtly inching away. She didn't like the out of focus way he looked at her.

            "Can you do me a favor?"

            "Um… what ki—" She never finished whatever she was saying as the boy plummeted to the floor, barely missing baptizing Relena's Nike with his dinner and whatever food he ate after. She was grateful she moved away, even if just a fracture of an inch as it proved significant where her shoes were concerned.

            She made a face and moved away, wondering if it was a sign from God that she leave now before something worse happens. "That was disgusting," she shook her head as she plopped down on the couch, sandwiched between people drinking themselves to oblivion.

            Rafe's room was at the top floor of her dorm and it was more spacious than hers—about twice as big as the usual room of the other dorms. No wonder people loved going to parties thrown by him. His parties are always during the times when the assistant principal is out in town and the one left in charge is the pathetic excuse of a caretaker who'd turn blind, deaf and whatever else you'd like him to be if the price is right.

            Said Rich Boy's parties are great because: a) there's no supervision, b) Rafe's secret stash of liquor is free for everyone who's invited and lastly, because since there's no one to supervise and the passport to La-la-land is for all, pretty much anything can happen. Summary: WILD PARTY.

            Her friends, the ones who she had counted on, were missing. She saw Wufei few minutes after they arrived but she lost sight of him when Duo pulled her with him, making a beeline for the mini buffet table. And her trusty braided friend deserted her soon after. Quatre and Trowa—inseparable as ever—came in together but she never got the chance to greet them, or wave at them at least as they disappeared from her sight when another group of people came. And she wasn't betting on Heero to come either. From what Duo said, it was most likely that Heero was spending the night doing stuff on his own. "Heero's like that," Duo had said, shrugging.

            "Which leaves me to go solo in the end," she sighed, closing her eyes as her head started to pound in sync with the techno beat of the expensive sound system. The guy next to her smiled at him. "Hey, I know you," he said.

            "Yeah, from basketball," she said, smiling a little. The least she could do was have fun. She's already there, why not make the most of it? "Are parties here always like this?"

            "Yeah, slammin', isn't it? I love Rafael's parties," the guy said. "Smash," he said, offering his hand but finding it already occupied with the shot glass. He looked at his hand then laughed before emptying its contents.

            "Reynald," she replied, leaning back on the chair. "What's that you're drinking?"

            "Tequila, I've got tons with me, wanna try?"

            "Does it taste good?" she asked, studying the liquid intently. "I want mine in a bigger glass…"

            The couch already had four occupants, Relena, Smash and two other where one was sleeping soundly at Smash's left and the other drinking on his own at the end. Smash pushed the boy next to him on the floor and grinned. "More space." Then turned to Relena, remembering what they were talking about. "That can be arranged," Smash smiled, reaching for the half-empty beer mug on the coffee table where his feet were propped. He emptied its contents and in seconds, it was filled with Tequila. He handed it to Relena.

            She stared at the glass offered to her for a while. It was gross that she was going to use someone else's mug; for all she know, the one who used it could've had a disease and by sharing his mug, she could get it as well. But then… She's a boy right now, and she was supposed to be gross. "Ah, hell," she sighed, gathering all resolve and throwing away all thoughts concerning hygiene as she pretended to have balls and be plain gross. She took the mug gratefully and took a swig.

            She half-emptied the mug and Smash's eyes went wide. "Holy shit," he said then smiled. "Seems like I've found myself a drinking partner."

            Relena emptied the mug then grinned. "More, amigo, pour me more."

            By one o'clock, the party was still at full swing. Although it became more exclusive. Only the ones ranked finest and among the best in the popularity scale were left. There was a commotion going on the center of the room, which served as the dance floor.

            "So you got your name Smash 'cuz you liked getting Smashed," Relena laughed loudly, throwing her head around as she danced to the beat of the music. She still had her mug on the left hand but her right now held a bottle of her new favorite drink, tequila. Her new friend nodded, as wasted as she was.

            "Oh, I just got an idea," she said, still swinging and generally throwing her dignity out the window. "I'll sing everyone a song!" she said before she made her way toward the stereo, tripping over her feet thrice and sidestepping those who've already passed out on the floor. She fumbled for the mic for a while before her alcohol-induced brain finally switched on semi-functional that she managed to turn it on.

            "'ey, guyds, thisis Reydalddodian," she said, slurring as the people stopped dancing. "I jus thod dat since this id Happy hour, I'll grand y'all the privilege to hear me sing!" Then she laughed aloud. "I'm going to sing you a song that's meant do much to me…"

            "Furimuite mo kurenai…. anata no hitomi… oi kakete mo kanashii… kokoro wa yurete…" She sang, off-key. "Ah... dakedo shinjite itai no … Ah... sunao na kimochi…"

            "It's be better if you strip while singing!" someone shouted from the audience, all wasted; therefore all entertained by Relena's singing. To them, it was like an angel singing to them.

            Strip?" Relena paused from signing then shrugged. "STRIP!" she giggled then resumed. "Ai wa mada nakanai… mitsumete iru dake demo," she sang, pulling the ends of her shirt teasingly, deliberately slowing her movements. "kono tokimeki ni… ima uso wa nai kara… setsunasa ni nakanai… anata omou koto de… kino yori watashi wa… tada tsuyoku naritai no…"

            "TAKE THE SHIRT OFF!"

            Relena nodded, taking a handful of the garment and preparing to lift it off her head when someone placed his hands on top of hers.

            She saw beautiful blue eyes staring at her and she smiled. "Heedo! How nice of you do come watch my show!" She giggled again. "You're going to help me take it off?"

            "I'm going to help you alright," Heero said as he pulled her away from the crowd.

            "Hey, man! We're all enjoying the show!" someone shouted from the crowd. "It's not everyday Dorian takes off his shirt. Let him be! Sing more, Reynald!"

            Relena smiled then nodded, only to have Heero yank her to his side. "You're not going to sing for anyone," he said gravely. Then turned to the people who were starting to lose interest as someone had taken over Relena's previous spot with the mic. "There's another one singing, listen to him." They all shrugged and watched as Smash took the floor, having no qualms in stripping and taking over Relena's show.

            As for Relena, she allowed Heero to drag her to the nearest couch, too wasted to realize what's going on around her. She threw her arms around Heero and snuggled close to him. "Ne, Heero?"

            "Un?"

            Silence met him as his answer and when he turned to her, her eyes were already closed, head nestled at his lap. He shook his head. "I'm not your damn babysitter, Dorian."

            She shifted in her sleep before suddenly bolting up and dashing for the bathroom. She kicked open the door and saw something she never expected to witness in her whole life.

            Quatre and Trowa's limbs were tangled in a quite compromising position and it was obvious she had walked in on a heavy necking session. Trowa's shirt was lying forgotten on the bathroom floor while they were inside the tub. And the buttons of Quatre's shirt were already halfway unbuttoned.

            "What's the matter, Dorian?" Heero asked, arriving at the door and frowning at Relena's shocked face. Then happened to glance at the two inside, both equally surprised.

            "Rey? You okay?" Quatre asked, brows furrowing. His friend seemed to have stopped breathing.

            Relena opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out. No sound but the sound of her dinner and all the tequila she drank making contact with Heero's combat boots, that is.

Tbc

            Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me! ^_^ Send 'em over at kuroi_22@hotmail.com


	5. Part 5

Disclaimers: not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing; I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame, attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Uhm, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it (it keeps popping out every now and then, you'll see). But that's to be expected since this _is taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk._

NOTES 2:  There's a part that may be a bit boring. It's all dialogue, Relena yakking the night away. Be warned and please don't hate me for the dragging scene. ^_^

NOTES 3: I have a lot of notes, don't I? But please don't kill me just yet. But to those who gave reviews for the past chapters and stuff, I'm addressing some of you at the end of the fic. Just thought I'd let you guys know. So… now, back to your regularly scheduled ficcie…

=======

Part 5

            "You're in shock."

            Relena opened her mouth to reply but she succeeded in nothing but doing a very good imitation of a carp. Then cleared her throat. "Oh, God," she said.

            "That's the twelfth time you said that," Heero commented, using his arms as a pillow against the grass on the ground. The one lying on the ground next to him snorted.

            "Screw you. What do you expect me to say?"

            "You've broken the spell at last! Let's just hope it doesn't take you another eleven of that line before you can say something new."

            Relena stared at the sky. The dark blue blanket filled with stars was slowly fading away, making way for the brilliant glow of the sun at sunrise. After her shocking discovery, she learned later from Heero that she had passed out. She found herself lying on her back on the grass at the end of the school's immense garden with Heero lying next to her. The air seemed to clear her head and puking had cleared her stomach a bit. Her brain was semi-functional again.

            "So do you hate them or something?"

            "What?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "Why would I hate them? They're my friends, aren't they?"

            "They're gay."

            "As if that explains everything," she rolled her eyes. "It doesn't matter if they're gay. Them preferring to love one from the same sex makes no difference to me. It makes them human no less. Do I seem that narrow-minded to you?"

            "That's good to hear," Heero smiled. "I've been in this school since I was little so relationships like these are nothing new to me. I accept them. But I can't always say the same for the others. I'm glad to hear you're okay with it."

            "Nothing you can do about it, really," Relena shrugged. "No matter how open-minded some people are there are still people who will scorn at gays and lesbians. Anything that's not considered part of the 'norm' is wrong for them. I suppose that's just the way the world works." Then paused. "Though I'm still hoping the one day those who're considered deviant will be accepted by everyone as they are. It would make things easier for _all of us, even those who are straight."_

            "That's good to hear."

            "Are _you going to start saying that line twelve times before you come up with a new one?" Relena asked, eyes twinkling. She wrinkled her nose. "Even if my head's clear now, I still can't remember much of what happened at the party. I didn't do anything stupid, did I?"_

            Heero grinned evilly. "I'll let you be the judge of that once you remember."

            "Be honest—I didn't frolic around naked, did I?"

            "I'm sure it'll come to you once you've rested," Heero replied. "But did I tell you that you suck when it comes to singing?"

            Her eyes went wide and she blushed. She covered her face and even her ears were pink. "Oh, God! I SANG?"

            "I'm sure they enjoyed the show." Heero chuckled.

            She made a face. "You're not helping me feel better," she complained. Then smiled. "Thanks, by the way."

            "For what?"

            "Like you don't know what I'm talking about! Thanks for coming to my rescue—that much I know. And sorry about the shoes. I'll buy you a new pair if you like."

            "No need for that…" He stopped when he came face to face with Relena. The girl had rolled over so that she was hovering above Heero and looking straight into his eyes. He noticed for the first time how beautiful his eyes were. They were a rich shade of purple. And the way he seemed so lithe even while looking down on him was having a strange effect on him.

            "Thanks," Relena said softly, smiling as she did. "I know we haven't exactly been the best of friends but still… thank you."

            Heero stared into Reynald's eyes before he nodded slightly. "You're welcome…"

~*~*~*~

            "Again, why are we so cheery this morning?" Duo greeted her when she sat next to him on the table after breakfast. The meal was over and pretty much everyone has left the room but them so Relena felt it was safe to talk to her friend.

            "I'm not too sure myself," she admitted, giggling a bit.

            "Oh, no. We have a giggling high school girl here," Duo slapped his forehead exasperatedly. Then grinned. "Does this have anything to do with last night?"

            She shrugged. "Not sure... HEY! Speaking of last night, where were you? You left me there all alone. Heero had to rescue me before I lost all my dignity singing drunk in front of all those people."

            "So you're Mystery Boy. He refused to tell me where he was and who he was with last night till the wee hours of the morning."

            "Yup, I was baptizing his shoes with last night's dinner."

            Duo wrinkled his nose. "Gross. Mystery Number Two solved. I was wondering what the smell was. Rey, do us all a favor and do not get drunk at parties again."

            She laughed. "You can count on that. I woke up with this terrible hangover. I hope I never get drunk like that again. And I can't remember much details about last night either."

            "Nice show last night, Rey!" Someone said when he passed by the two on his way out the dinning hall. "I better invite you next time I throw a party."

            Relena nodded, smiling. "Hey, at least I know people enjoy my company," she said to her friend. "So where were you?"

            Duo grinned sheepishly. "I ditched the party to have a night out by myself."

            "You could've had the decency to give me a warning before you abandoned me with the wolves," she glared at him. Then laughed. "So you were partying on your own, huh? I guess that's okay. It can get a bit dull seeing the same people over and over. I mean, you can actually get sick of their faces, if you haven't already. So what happened to you? Met a cool chick?"

            "Nope, though I spotted one. She was with her friends all the time so I didn't have the chance to approach her," he shrugged. "I'm sure she's from the neighboring school, maybe I'll see her around."

            "Maybe I can help you," she offered. She wasn't a student council member for nothing. She could actually use her sources to help her friend. She cleared her throat when she saw the skeptic look Duo was giving her. "I know it doesn't look like it but I have friends in CHA. I could ask around for you if you want."

            "That would be good," Dou said, grinning at her. "She seemed really cool."

            "I'm sure we'll be able to locate her in no time," she said, returning Duo's smile. Then her smile froze. Someone had draped an arm on her shoulders and she had the sinking feeling she knew who it was.

            "Great party last night, Rey," James whispered, his breath tickling her ears.

            She cleared her throat and removed his arm and placed it where it should, by his side. "Yeah, it was fun. Though I didn't see you. I've gotta be honest with you. I was quite happy you weren't there."

            "But I was, Baby, you just didn't see me," James smirked. "I was enjoying the show from the shadows. You sure know how to liven a party."

            "Well, that's me. If you'll excuse us," she said, grabbing Duo's arm and walking past the older boy. "We have better things to do."

            "But really, Rey. Can I ask for a private show? Just you and me? You seem especially talented in stripping."

            Relena froze and Duo's eyes widened. "What did you say?"

            "Maybe you've forgotten. But I'm sure almost everyone who wasn't as wasted as you were would remember seeing you sing and strip at the same time," James smirked. "I'll get back to you about that private show some time." Then he sauntered off, leaving Relena breathing heavily and eyes bulging.

            "Holy crap, I missed the show!" Duo whistled. "Did you really?"

            "I know I sang," she admitted, feeling her cheeks burn. Then sighed. "Heero must've been laughing inside all the time when I asked him what happened."

            "Hey, at least now we know you're a talented singer," Duo joked, trying to cheer his friend up.

            Relena gave him a small, wry smile. "I'll have to ask for a fee next time."

~*~*~*~

            "Are you sure she won't mind?"

            The one being directed the question to grinned and shook her head. She pulled on her gray sleeveless shirt and turned to the other one in the room with them. "You know where the dorm is, right?"

            "Sure do," the person replied, grinning wickedly. "Boy! Won't she be surprised!"

~*~*~*~

            Relena threw herself on the bench, closing her eyes as the other members of the team collapse on the floor nearby. Her one on one with Heero was over and she was finally allowed to stay and practice with the team that afternoon.

            And she was starting to doubt herself if it was a good idea. She was sure the other boys were thinking of murder right now as they lie on the floor, panting hard and doing their damnedest to catch their breath.

            Heero had worked their ass off the whole afternoon. They were made to run around the whole academy three times. With short breaks of course—Heero was smarter than that—it would've meant a ticket to an early grave if he hadn't allowed that. But the five-minute break every other hour wasn't enough. How could it when you've been running around an entire school? And their Calvary did not stop there. After resting for thirty minutes, Heero made them do stretching exercises.

            The young woman was feeling more like Spaghetti Woman rather than Iron Woman (under the pretense it's Iron Man since she's cross-dressing). And the hour's Evil Bastard was standing calmly under the shade of a tree while the young men with her slowly die of exhaustion.

            Heero studied the clipboard on his hand before he turned to the team with the same intent look on his face. "You guys are in pretty bad shape," he remarked, writing something on the clipboard, oblivious or plain ignoring the murderous glares sent his way.

            "Well excuse us for not being made out of the same shit as you, Mr. Lean Mean Athletic Machine," Jeff remarked irritably from where he was sprawled next to Paul on the grass. "I don't think a little 'good job, you guys. Great workout this afternoon' from you would hurt. I, for one, think we deserve it for the hell you put us through."

            There was a ghost of a smile that flashed on Heero's lips before he shrugged. "You guys slacked off while I was training Dorian. It's your fault."

            The other members just shook their head, knowing it was no use talking to Heero. He was known for being a slave driver anyway. Him making them this hard was no surprise, they were just a bit out of practice that's why their bodies were unprepared for the sudden torture they were put thorough.

            But Relena's body was screaming bloody murder. _She was not used to this kind of exercise. She was just starting to recover from the physical onslaught when she heard the Devil's Bells. Heero's whistle signaling them break was over._

            She raised her arm and shook her head wildly. "I'm not moving from my spot."

            Paul picked himself up from the floor and dusted himself off the dirt. "I'd stand up if I were you, Dorian. Heero will only make you run an extra mile if you don't do as he says."

            "There's a thing called democracy existing somewhere in this planet," she retorted, closing her eyes as the sun almost blinded her.

            "All right, you can all march to your respective dorms, today's session's over," Heero announced, much to the surprise of the guys. "But Dorian here will stay for another hour."

            "Do you know the meaning of despondency?"

            "Make that two hours."

            Are they sure that Heero's not the devil's spawn? Relena wondered in her head as she trekked the hilly side of the academy. She didn't know the place existed until that afternoon when Heero told her that she's to hike the low hills at the end of the school grounds for her training.

            "I'm sure my father's name isn't Satan," Heero said from ahead of her, striding leisurely while she _struggled_ to walk.

            Had I spoken that out loud? Maybe, since he answered me. Or reading people's minds comes with the other privileges of being a demonic prince. "Can we…_pant_...stop and…_pant_…rest for a while?"

            Heero paused mid-stride and shook his head. "Not until I see you roll over this cliff with sheer exhaustion."

            "Why don't I strangle you out of sheer frustration?"

            Heero's chuckle surprised her. She wasn't expecting _that_. That deep rich sound coming out of his lips that proved that he was indeed capable of mirth.

            It only managed it increase her fury after the initial shock wore off. "Why does making my life hell bring you so much joy? I mean, are you really that deprived of everything in this prison?"

            Something flashed in Heero's eyes before he shrugged and the usual hard blue eyes returned. "Yes, I ­_am_ that deprived. Seeing you labor does bring me pleasure," Heero smirked. "Which reminds me," he took his forgotten clipboard from his little backpack and wrote something. "Tomorrow, you'll be hiking with me to improve on your stamina."

            "Sadist," Relena spat out before walking past him in strong powerful strides. Funny how her energy returned the instant he said those words.

~*~*~*~

            "This is heaven," Relena breathed, feeling the wind caress her face and body. Her long hair moved freely with the breeze as she allowed the salty humid air surround her. After the torturous afternoon with Heero she snuck out of the dorm as she had always done to seek her little sanctuary.

            She stooped and seized the soda can from the ground and took a generous swig. Normally, she stayed away from too much caffeine found in carbonated beverages but tonight was an exception. She deserved it from the hell she received from Yuy.

            Speak of the devil, Relena thought as the now-familiar black BMW slowed to a crawl opposite her own car. She was not in the mood to be in the same breathing area as the devil incarnate. The sadistic bastard!

            Against the dictate of common sense that she got here first so he should be the one to leave, she gathered her things. She grabbed the unopened cans of coke and bags of chips on the blanket she brought with her.

            She was on the process of stuffing everything in the canvas bag she had when Heero made it toward the cliff, looking like the devil himself. His eyes were dark and his features were scowling. He was always scowling and this was nothing new but he was…_angrier_ than usual that night.

            He finally noticed that he was not alone when she dropped the can and she hissed an annoyed cursed under her breath. "Oh. Relena. I didn't know you were here," he said, trying to smoothen his features. He forced his lips to moved upwards just a little but she saw the clenching of his fists.

            Obviously, he was in a greater state of anger or frustration than she was. And Relena couldn't find it in herself to leave him like this. Forget about the anguish she was put through. She could always go to spas for that. She doubted any spa could help Heero.

            "Hey," she said, trying to keep her voice cheerful. "I haven't seen you in a while," she smiled. "Too busy at the academy?"

            She realized her mistake. Heero's fists stopped clenching for a moment before it started again and it appeared to her that he was struggling to keep his temper check. She swallowed hard. A voice in her head was arguing he'd best be left alone, to cool his head on his own. She knew that for some people, having people around when their anger mounted only increased their fury. The voice was arguing that Heero was one of those people.

            But she ignored the voice. She had this gut feeling that if she left him now, she wouldn't be helping him at all. She had the suspicion it would only agitate him more. Perhaps not physically or in a way that could be seen. But it would only hurt him more inside.

            So gingerly she stood next to him near the cliff, praying he wasn't that aggravated that he'd flung her down the ranging seas to displace his fury. Her family wouldn't sit well with the idea of the only daughter finding peace in the ferocious waters of the deep. "It's a beautiful night isn't it?"

            "What's beautiful about it? It's just like any other night. Dark and foreboding."

            "Is that how you see it?"

            "It's how it is."

            Relena shook her head. "At the risk of being thrown to the raging seas, may I ask what's up your ass?"

            She saw the boy next to her visibly tense and she closed her eyes and started with her litany. She wasn't Christian but she figured she might as well start being one if she didn't want to meet the Red Guy after life.

            Heero's low chuckle surprised her for the second time that day. She risked a peek and saw him shaking with uncontrollable mirth. Then frowned. "Hey! Are you laughing at me?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

            "How can I not?" he said, still laughing. Then gave her a smile, which warmed her all over. "Damn it, Relena, you certainly know what to say at the right time."

            She couldn't help it. She returned his smile and shrugged. "Since I find myself still firmly anchored to the ground and not drowning in the frigid sea, may I be brass enough to ask what's bothering you?"

            The darkness returned to his eyes again and her turned away. "It's nothing. Something silly and insignificant for someone like you to bother with."

            "Let me be the judge of that," she replied. She handed him a can of soda from her bag and sat down on the blanket. She patted the spot next to her as an invitation, which he accepted.

            "Sometimes we have to talk about things that bother us, silly and insignificant as they may seem," she said, looking at him straight in the eye. "I'm here. I'll listen."

            "I hate The Prison."

            "Almost everybody hates being deposited in dorms," she said. "I'm sure there's a deeper reason for that." When he remained silent, she knew she had to be the first one to open up to him. She has to be the one to make the initiative. She'd have to reveal herself and tell him things she never permitted others to know. "I used to hate my parents when they first told me about it."

            "It's different in your case."

            "And why the hell would it be different? Because I'm a girl?" she rolled her eyes. "You were right, you know, when you said that I'm the kind of person who knows nothing about life. I used to be like that. But I fancy myself as someone who knows at least a grain of truth about reality. It's not that ugly as some say. It depends on how you look at it.

            "I'm a brat, plain and simple," she stated. "But that's how I am. I whine when I don't get what I want, when things don't go my way. I've been sheltered and pampered my whole life, even in the academy where I had been dumped. I'm a great student, straight A's and I'm a member of the student council. And I've never disobeyed my parents and brother in a major way. But you have to understand, being a brat, I tend to do things my and have things my way a lot.

            "You might even wonder what the hell I'm complaining for, right?" She gave him a sardonic smile and continued. "I mean, a loving family who gives me everything from material to filial affection, how grand! But with it comes this short leash. I'm not allowed to wander off their sight for long and if I were to, they'd have countless of people looking after me as if I'm some goddamned china doll who'll break the minute she shares the same oxygen with the lowly ones.

            "I know they only wants what's good for me but I'm not a dog, nor a doll. I'm a brat who will someday live her life on her own without her influential family making decisions and living her life for her. I'm Relena Darlain, not Wag the Dog!"

            She glared at him who seemed to be fighting the laughter in vain. "I'm trying to share a big part of myself here, Yuy, the least you could do is show some sympathy," she said. She sighed and continued. "It seems petty and insignificant compared to other much distressing world problems but I think it makes a difference.

            "How the hell am I expected to be good diplomat if I were to live my life as a puppet forever controlled by my parents? Political, social and personal conflicts arise, you see," she said, looking at the dark blue blanket above them. "But you know what? I'll share a little secret with you.

            "Over the past days I've known you, I've never felt more free," she smiled at him softly. "It's kind of strange, really. Because I'm letting loose the persona I've been trying to stifle all these years. And I have the feeling this persona is the real me. Or at least an integral part of me, which will somehow mold me into being the kind of person I want to be.

            "Though right now, it may seem like it's built on lies and pretense, I think that it's the truest face of Relena Peacecraft. No faking, no editing and omitting of truth, just the real me. And I don't think I would've come out this way had I not been the family baby—or pet, depending on how you look at it."

            "Was there supposed to be a moral in this little story?"

            "Bitter," she stated. "Bitterness eats us away, slowly gnawing us from inside where things are much harder to heal."

            "I think you'll be better off as some sort of preacher," Heero replied, looking away.

            "Hammered it home, huh?" she smiled sweetly. "But listen to preacher-in-training Darlain for a while, okay? Don't just hear me out _listen_ to me. Life is what you make out of it. If you take everything that happens to you with nothing but bitterness and contempt then your life will really suck big time. Try to look for the brighter side, because no matter what you say, there is _always_ a bright side." Relena stood up and smiled at him. "I think you need to think about what I said tonight on your own. Return my things to me the next time we see each other. Bye, Heero."

            She was starting to walk away when Heero caught her left hand, which caused her to pause. He stood up and pulled her back to him. Relena's eyes widened when she felt his soft lips on hers.

            Heero touched her face and tilted it a bit to look directly into her eyes. "You're right. There _is_ always a bright side."

Tbc

            Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me! ^_^ Send 'em over at kuroi_22@hotmail.com

=========

THIS IS THE PART WHERE I ADDRESS THOSE WHO WERE NICE ENOUGH TO LEAVE REVIEWS  

      ::gulp:: Let's hope I don't lose whatever little respect I have in their eyes. Btw, I don't want to seem that I'm obnoxious or anything in any way with what I say, ok? I'm just trying to be honest so if I come out as if I'm not that nice or anything… just ignore me. No offense to anyone, ok? ::offers box of chocolate cookies::

**EVERYBODY:**  Thankies to all of you who read and gave feedback. To those who've been reading since Part 1 and everyone else… thankies! ::bows over and over:: The nice comments surely helped push me into writing more. Sorry if it takes me half a century to come up with new installments. Something always comes up whenever I try to sit down and write the fic. But thanks for your patience in still reading. ^_^

**Sour Pink Lollipop:** Reynald? I don't know, it just kinda popped in my head when I was writing the first part. Hehe. But I don't think I've ever met anyone whose name is Reynald. Rey, maybe but not Reynald… (looks thoughtful)****

**ying fa wolf:** Yup, this is 1+R fic. And I can't answer whether or not it's gonna get more interesting or anything. I'm working for it to be but you'll be the judge of that. ^_^

**CowgurlEvee: **Relena has her reasons for acting like such a brat at times. (in a weird, raspy voice:) It's all part of the plot… ::chokes:: _Ahem_… but really, you'll soon find out just why she's like that (as soon as I get over this giant red brick wall called writer's block). ^_^

**S. Wing:** Thanks for the review… but what did you mean by spacing? ::question marks float around Kuroi's head:: I usually space the way I do for html pages… does it show up weird or something? Or are we talking about a totally different kind of spacing? Enlighten me… ^_^

**Death's little side kick**: Um, I'm a bit confused with what you said. You didn't like the "gay-part"? Because if you don't, then maybe you wouldn't like the rest too much. My fic's centered on 1+R but Shounen Ai is involved because the setting's in an exclusive academy for boys. Things like that are normal there. But still, thanks for liking the story, even if you were grossed out a bit in some parts. ^^;;

     Guys, even if I didn't exactly address each and every reviewer personally, rest assured I treasure each and every one of you. ^_^ Really, I do. Thank you all for the wonderful feedback and I promise to try to come up with more chapters soon. ::bows over and over:: Thankies…


	6. Part 6

Disclaimers: not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

            And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Uhm, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it, definitely, especially this part. But that's to be expected since this _is taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk._

Notes 2: If there are some typos (more than usual anyway) then please forgive me. Crash hates me so much now she's attacking my keyboard, as if wrecking my HD hadn't been enough. ^^;; Crap. The mouse is acting up as well. _ Poor Kuroi. I really need to invest on a new computer anyway… ::sigh:: A working PC isn't too much to ask for, is it?

=======

Part 6

            The dinning hall was filled with noise coming from different people from all levels. She passed by a group heatedly arguing about quantum physics and another group was discussing who was more gross, Britney or Barney.

            "Barney's gross!" one of the sophomores in the table exclaimed.

            "But Britney's worse," another one argued. "I mean, really! The implants? Nothing's worse than her."

            "I think they only stand equal on the gross scale," Relena butted in before making her way toward their usual table. The others she left agreed among themselves that she was right. They were both gross, period.

            "Good morning, Duo," she greeted cheerfully as she sat down. She gave him one of her sunniest smiles.

            "Is there some sort of disease everyone's catching on?" Duo asked the second Relena sat for breakfast. 

            She shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about." She looked around the table and raised an eyebrow. "Would I regret it if I were to ask where Trowa and Quatre are? And Wufei as well? It seems as if we're getting fewer and fewer…"

            "Wufei's blowing something up—got an A- for his chemistry and he's not taking any of it. Quatre and Trowa's at the music room, polishing their pieces together."

            "I'm going to think that was all in that statement, no innuendoes," she said, taking a sip on her glass delicately. She gave her friend another sunny smile before she resumed poking her food with her fork.

            "You've been smiling a lot since yesterday. Come on, spill."

            Relena rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to retort when she saw Heero enter the dining hall at the corner of her eye. She felt her cheeks grow reasonably hot and shoved another forkful of mashed potato in her mouth.

            Heero nodded to them in greeting. Relena bit her lower lip and tried to look laid-back but she seemed like she was nearing a cardiac arrest. But constipated pretty much hammered it home. She glanced at Heero then quickly looked down at her plate, afraid he'd catch her.

            Duo cleared her throat and she looked up to him, fearing she'd been caught. "You seem to be glowing a bit, Yuy."

            Relena flushed and took a generous gulp of her orange juice. What's Heero's reaction? She abruptly turned to her right and watched him carefully.

            He shrugged. She felt her shoulders drop a little. No blenching. No gagging. Not a trace of anything negative. Except maybe for his lack of response. THAT'S IT? She dug into her food furiously, glaring at the green garnish at the side.

            When she looked up from massacring her breakfast, she saw Duo regarding her with an unreadable expression. "What?" she asked quietly, though she wasn't really expecting an answer. She continued to eat her food in silence, allowing Duo and Heero to fill the silence with their babble about sports.

            Heero pushed his plate back and excused himself. "I'll see you at the back of the school for our hike at exactly eight-thirty this morning, Dorian." With that, he stood up and left.

            Relena watched his figure disappear from view when he rounded the corner and left the room. She pushed her plate away and frowned.

            "Hiking with him, huh? Don't let that dampen whatever exuberance you had with you earlier this morning. You'll survive without rolling down the hill," her friend comforted her.

            It would've been better if that was what she was distressed about—not that she was distressed—maybe just a little—no, not at all.  "It's just so hard to figure it all out, you know? Everything's so complicated. It's like…I can just fall any time and no one will catch me."

            "He won't let you fall, don't worry," Duo said, looking at her straight in the eye and giving her a pointed look. "And trust me, you're not the first one to feel that way. But maybe you'll be different this time."

~*~*~*~

            "Oh, this is just great," Relena muttered under her breath, hiking the her backpack higher as she marched toward the school's rear where she was supposed to meet Heero. Overgrown grass was clawing at her legs where her shorts left her skin unprotected. "He tells me something which I assume was meant to comfort me in a way but he ends up confusing me more. Was he talking about hiking or the Devil himself?"

            "Didn't you know that talking to yourself isn't a very healthy habit, Rey?"

            Relena glared at the young man leaning against faded blue wooden wall that served as an old tool shed. "The last person I want to see," she said. Well, okay, second to the last. But she had no choice with regards to meeting Last Choice No. 1. It was blow me off and find yourself rolling down the damn hill. "What are you doing here?"

            "Bird watching."

            "Your hot air already scared them off," she replied, turned to resume her walking. Nothing good will come from talking to James. He spelled trouble with a capital T. No, scratch that. He spelled trouble all caps. She doesn't want anything to do with him. Or his horrid fan club. They can have him.

            "Aw, you wound me with such words, Reynald Darling," he drawled on, sauntering toward him. He placed at a hand on Relena's shoulder and she stiffened. "Relax, I won't hurt you." He cradled her face with both hands and looked into her eyes. "You have such beautiful eyes, Rey."

            "The wonders of tinted contacts," she chirped.

            "And you have such smooth skin, " James said, tracing her jaw with the back of his hand.

            "Foreign lotion. Lizard's tail and fish eyes. It really works."

            "Witty as well as beautiful, that's why I like you, Rey," he whispered softly, his face slowly coming closer. "And you have such soft-looking lips. I wonder if it's as soft as it looks."

            Relena froze. She was not attracted to James in any way, quite the opposite in fact, but she was also only a mere mortal. She knew about the thousands of men who became powerless when faced with James' beautiful liquid silver eyes. She hated herself at the mere thought of possibly becoming one of them.

            She took a step back. He took a step forward. This is not good, Relena thought when her back came into contact with the hard, wooden wall. Where the hell is my lightning?

            "You don't have to be afraid, I promise I'll be gentle," James said, touching her face again. "No one will have to know… _He_ won't have to know about this…"

            "H-he?" what the hell was this guy talking about?

            "Yes, _him_. Don't try to fool me, Love. I notice things. Like the way your eyes always light up when he's around. I want your eyes to light up just like that. For me. Only for me," he grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him.

            Relena recoiled in horror. The pressure on her arms was increasing. "Le—let go of me!" she exclaimed, struggling. But he only held onto her. "Let me go, you bastard!"

            "I get that a lot," he mused, smiling at her as he eased his hold on her. He tugged at the collar of his dark blue shirt. "Shall we continue?"

            Relena started to inch left but James' arm at the side of her immediately immobilized her. "Fun. I didn't know you were the kind to play games. All right then. Let's play." With both arms at each side of her head, she was trapped. "How do you want us to do this?"

            "Go to hell, you evil bastard" she glared at him, eyes flashing.

            "Now, really, name-calling's not nice, didn't your mother tell you that?"

            "Rape's not nice either, didn't you know?"

            "This isn't rape. One has to be unwilling for it to be rape. And you came out here willingly, didn't you?" She could feel his breath on her face. Relena closed her eyes.

            "I was on my way to the hill for a hike. You were waiting for me."

            "Ah, but I can always say you agreed to meet here," he said, hands trailing by her side. He rested it on her waist and grinned. "You have such a nice figure. Almost like a lady's."

            "And you have such an awful attitude. Like a bastard's. Oh, wait. You _are_ a bastard."

            "Still fiery, aren't we? We'll see about that…" His face came closer again. Relena's breath hitched and she closed her eyes, willing for her lightning to strike her—or him—any instant now. She turned her head at the last second and James' kiss landed on her cheek.

            He took his chin in his left hand and glared at her. "I've been trying to play nice since the beginning, Dorian. But you just won't listen." He smiled at her and tilted her face to level her with a pointed glare. "I guess I'll just have to teach you a lesson or two about playing nice, don't I?"

            "Let him go, Reyes."

            Relena's eyes fell on Heero, standing a good feet behind James with his eyes flashing angrily. His own backpack lay on the grass by his feet.

            James shrugged and released Relena. He stepped away and smiled. "You just have to ruin my fun, Yuy." He straightened his shirt and brushed the lint off his clothes. "Well then, since you're already here to keep Dorian company, I'll go now. I'll see you two around."

            Relena silently watched him walk away. Then her eyes rested on the young man standing in front of him.

            "Reynald…" Heero began.

            But she didn't care to hear the rest. Suddenly she felt sick.  She placed a hand to cover her mouth and shook her head. She ran all the way back to her dorm without looking back at Heero.

            If she did, she would've seen the pained expression that flashed on the young man's face.

            Throwing herself on the bed, Relena aloud the tears to fall. The queasy feeling still hasn't left her but now its was being accompanied by tears.

            She felt so dirty. She knew James probably wouldn't have the nerve to do more than kiss her but you never know. She just felt so weak that time she couldn't even fight him. A good kick on the groin should've done the trick. But she felt powerless then. Her brain wouldn't work. And Heero had to save her.

            Heero had to be the one to see her like that.

            She hated it.  She hated it when people saw her as weak. But it was worse because it was Heero who saw her in that state.

            She had struggled hard so nobody would ever see her as weak. She worked so hard to keep her chin up no what matter the situation. She was sick and tired of being treated like a baby. She could take care of herself, that's what she wanted to prove to her parents. And she succeeded.

            That is, until that morning.

            She had to be saved by someone again. She hated the feeling.

~*~*~*~

            The soft knocks on her door woke her up. Relena opened her eyes slowly and saw through her slightly open window it was already dark outside. So, she mused, I cried myself to sleep. She stood up from the bed and sighed, knowing full well she must look like crap.

            But at least the sleep helped her gather her wits. She was _not_ going to let whatever happened earlier that day ruin her stay. And yes, she was going to get James back for that later.

            "Who is it?" she asked, fixing her wig as she made her way toward the door. She opened the door and froze.

            Heero was standing outside with an unfathomable expression on his face. He cleared his throat and looked down when the door was opened. "Look, I know you may want to be alone but… You didn't come for lunch and dinner and no one saw you the whole day. I—Duo—and the others—are getting worried."

            Relena felt a small smile tug on her lips. So Heero's been worried… She opened the door wider and stepped aside to let him in. "I'm okay, you guys didn't have to worry. I just slept the whole day, that's all…"

            Heero stared at the room he stepped into in amazement. It was, by far, the cleanest room he's been into since he enrolled at SKA. Quatre and Trowa's room didn't count, of course, since it's a known fact Quatre was a clean freak.

            "It's a bit messy but I think it's safe to say that no rats will come out," Relena said, taking the shirts strewn all over the small couch she had near the counter of the kitchenette.

            "Messy? This is probably the cleanest room I've been to," Heero smiled. "Don't tell me you're another clean freak! We already have Quatre for that."

            She chuckled then shook her head. "Not really, but I don't like the prospect of sleeping with rats scurrying around my room. Of course compared to _your_ room…" She left her sentence hanging meaningfully.

            He snorted and secretly smiled as he looked around while she gathered the shirts and other articles of clothing in a laundry basket. He was glad Dorian wasn't letting the incident earlier get to him. His eyes fell on the pictures on the end table.

            He picked one up and stared at it.

            Relena turned back to Heero, about to ask him whether he'd like something to drink when she saw what he had in his hands. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! She screamed at herself.

            She had pictures of herself and her family and friends all over the room. Of course Heero would recognize her. She cleared her throat and forced a chuckle. "Pretty, isn't she?" Lightning, where are you? Strike me now.

            Heero turned his intense blue eyes on her and held up the picture. "How do you know Relena?"

            "Eh? H-how?" Relena swallowed hard.  How do I know myself? "She's good friends with my cousin, one of the girls in the picture," she replied, walking toward him and picking out a group picture of all of them. She pointed to Hilde. "She introduced me to her."

            "Are you guys going out?"

            Am I dating myself?

             "No, we're friends. Strictly friends. We're rather close, you know." 

            Closer than you'll ever imagine. 

            "Why, are you interested in her?" she asked, elbowing him playfully. She held her breath for his answer.

            "It's nothing," Heero shrugged, replacing the picture on the table. "She's just…different, you know? She's not like the other people who lie to you. She's honest. And I like that about her."

            Relena felt the ground beneath her crumble. Doesn't lie? Honest? Will he ever talk to me once he finds out about the truth? Maybe…

            Maybe it's time I tell someone the truth? I only have two weeks left anyway. I can lock myself in my room until the two weeks are up if things don't go too well.

            She cleared her throat and turned to Heero, bracing herself for the worse. This is it. Lord, please be ready to deliver one lightning in ten seconds. I'll have it on stand-by please.

            "Heero, there's something I need to tell you. I think you may want to sit down because this will be a bit…surprising, to say the least."

            "What do you mean?"

            "The truth is…" Relena took a deep breath. Now or never.

            "SURPRISE!" three female voices exclaimed at the same time, jumping in from outside the window.

            Relena's eyes grew wide as she stared shellshock at her three best friends staring back and forth from Relena then to Heero.  This is not good…

            WHERE'S MY LIGHTNING?

Tbc

            Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me! ^_^ Send 'em over at kuroi_22@hotmail.com

=====

            There, I hope you guys liked that. I'm home alone in New Year's Day instead of being terrorized by the yearly family reunion so I thought I'd make the most out of it and update Going Undercover. ^_^

            Btw, to Britney fans, I'm sorry. But I hate her. Britney-bashing is pretty much common in my fics so… ::shrugs::


	7. Prt 7

Disclaimers: Not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

            And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Uhm, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it, definitely, especially this part. But that's to be expected since this _is taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk._

====

Part 7

            "This wasn't the right time to barge in, was it?" Hilde asked, flashing them a sheepish smile. The two merely stared at her and the girls behind her dumbly. "Oops."

            Heero pointed at them then at the picture that was the topic of their conversation only seconds ago. "You…friends…"

            Relena wished for the nth time that day that her long-overdue lighting would strike her. NOW.

            "You're aware visitors, especially females ones who aren't even your relatives, are prohibited, right?" Heero asked after another minute of stunned silence from all parties.

            Dorothy burst out laughing. Then shrugged when three pair of eyes glared at her. "I just thought it was funny," she said. She walked over to where Heero was sitting at the couch and extended her hand. "Dorothy Catalonia. I know you must be a little bit of surprised to see three girls barging into _Rey's_," she paused, smirking as the name rolled off her tongue then continued, "window like that. We wanted to surprise him," she half-whispered to the boy.

            Relena rolled her eyes. Surprise her? She nearly died of heart attack!

            She regained composure and cleared her throat. "Meet my friends, this is Catherine Bloom and this is Hilde Schbeicker."

            "Your cousin," Heero said softly, looking at them and giving them something that resembled a very, very small, almost non-existent smile.

            "Cousin?" Relena repeated. "Uh, yeah, my cousin." She flashed him a bright smile. "Not that I'm throwing you out or anything, Heero, but can we—can we, uh, continue our conversation tomorrow?"

            Heero shrugged. "I have to see Duo anyway. He'd want to know if you're okay." He stood up and allowed Relena to walk him to the door. The three waved at him from the couch as they passed.

            Relena opened the door and stepped aside to let Heero out. "I'll see you tomo—" She was cut off when four bodies tumbled in and Relena's eyes widened.

            Duo, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei smiled at them from the floor sheepishly. "Um, hi, Rey, Heero," Duo greeted from the top of the pile.

            "We got worried when Heero didn't come back to their room after ten minutes," Quatre said, looking apologetic. "We were afraid you weren't okay…"

            "More like afraid that you and Heero got into another of your 'arguments' and one of you pushed the other out the window is more like it," Wufei muttered under his breath. "Get off, me, Barton! That's my pancreas you're squashing!"

            "I would, if Maxwell would gladly get off me first—Quatre, save that for later!" Trowa grunted from underneath the chuckling blond.

            "There are other people in the room, you know," Duo made a face. "Really, you two should—" He stopped midsentence when he saw Hilde and the girls waving at them cheerfully from the couch.

            The four immediately stood up and Relena closed her door, locking it firmly behind her back. She sighed. Oh, well. At least all her friends would get to meet each other. "My friends from CHA," she said, giving them a sunny smile. "They decided to surprise me but it seems as if they got their own share of surprise themselves."

            "You are aware of the rule about visitors, aren't you?" Wufei asked, frowning slightly.

            Duo made a face then pointed a finger at Hilde. "You! I know you—well, I don't know you _know you_ but I know you!"

            Relena stared in silence as Hilde merely smiled at him. Maybe the lightning was out of the question now.

            GIVE ME A DAMN EARTHQUAKE!

            "Me? I don't believe we've met," Hilde shook her head then paused, looking thoughtful. "Hey, I remember! I saw you at the disco some nights ago." She grinned. "Great moves, by the way."

            Duo grinned and laughed happily. "Glad you think so, Miss…?"

            "Hilde Schbeicker," Hilde said, standing up and shaking his hands. "And you are…?"

            "Duo Maxwell's the name."

            Dorothy cleared her throat and smiled at them. "We're still here, just thought I'd let you know," she gave her shorthaired friend a sweet smile. "Dorothy Catalonia and this with me is—"

            "You must be Quatre!" Cathy exclaimed, walking toward the blond and pinching his cheeks affectionately. She then turned to Wufei. "And you must be Wufei, the perpetual anal," she grinned evilly.

            Wufei sputtered then glared at her. "I am _not_ anal!"

            She tweaked his nose playfully. "I'm Catherine, I'm sure you've heard about me."

            Quatre gaped at her. "Ca-Catherine? As in Catherine Cathy? Older sister of Trowa?" when she nodded, he hugged her. "Ne'chan!"

            Relena stared at the two back and forth. What the hell is going on? Trowa Barton was her friend, Catherine Bloom's brother? The one she was supposed to check on? "Why do you guys have different last names?" That would've made her life A LOT easier locating Trowa.

            Cathy shrugged. "Didn't I tell you? Bloom's the stage name of our parents when they were in the circus. I decided to keep it since it has a nice ring to it, don't you think so? Catherine Bloom." She chuckled then turned to Trowa. "Had you been taking care of yourself like you promised me you would?"

            The brown-haired boy nodded. "Yes, ma'am! Besides, you already commissioned Quatre for that."

            Cathy giggled then shrugged. "Hey, let me act like the nagging big sister, okay?"

            Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Family reunions. Is it some sort of requirement that they have to be cheesy?" She shrugged when eight pair of eyes glared at her. "Anyway, Rey, do you have anything cold here? All the climbing took its toll on me. Not all of us had circus backgrounds, you know," she said meaningfully, looking at Cathy.

            The girl who was a year older shrugged. "But I think you have potential, Dorothy. You have rather flexible limbs there. Tell me if you wanna take up my offer, okay? I can get you in anytime."

            "I'll get the drinks," Relena cut in before Dorothy muttered (audibly, the kind everybody hears) another comment that would no doubt ensue another verbal feud, which often happened in Dorothy's case.

            Dorothy was really a good friend but sometimes, she couldn't keep her comments to herself. She believes in freedom of speech and abuses it too much. Intentional or not, her words could be pretty harsh at times. She did not want another tongue clashing in front of her other friends.

            She set the tray of canned drinks and snacks on the table and sat down on the empty beanbag next to Heero. Duo and Hilde seemed to be hitting off while Cathy was too focused on talking to Quatre and Trowa to pay anyone else any attention. Dorothy and Wufei were having a heated debate about politics that Relena didn't want to interrupt. The last thing she wanted to do was pin herself in the middle with two razor-sharp tongues more than ready to tear her to pieces for being at the middle of crossfire.

            "Hey," Heero said, handing her a can.

            "Thanks," she said, feeling something resembling a blush on her cheeks. "Sorry about this. They're a bit…strenuous for the ears but they're really fun."

            "What was it you were saying back then again?" he asked. "You weren't exactly able to finish what you were saying. It seemed serious."

            Relena opened her mouth but no sound came out. She tried again but no such luck. Okay, she could take a hint. "Nothing," she lied. "It wasn't serious or anything like that. I was just going to tell you that…" I am a two-faced lying fake. "you don't have to worry about James. I'll kick him at the groin next time I see him. The bastard."

            "I'll throw in a few punches while you're at it," Heero winked and Relena felt her heart skip.

            Breathe, Relena, breathe… It won't do you any good to pass out from lack of gas now. So maybe there's a slight chance he's interested, but don't get your hopes up. "Thanks. How about we ambush him tomorrow afternoon? I can probably gather a few rocks to hit him with by then."

            "You take head and I'll take the other parts. He still owes me for trying to get fresh with me back in first year."

            First year? Note to self: Gather rocks the size of Titanic to hit the evil bastard with. That'll teach him to try getting fresh with Heero, even if it was years ago!

~*~*~*~

            Not an hour after her friends left (both male and female), her phone rang. It displayed Hilde's number so she was debating whether or not to answer the call. She had a pretty good idea what she was going to say.

            Resigning to her fate, she pushed the button and armed herself for the oncoming battle. "Yes?"

            "He's cute," Hilde said, giggling a bit. "No wonder you didn't want to tell us about it at first. Did I tell you how lucky you are to be living in the same campus as him?"

            "Who? Duo or Heero?"

            "I knew it was Heero for you!" Hilde exclaimed, laughing.

            Relena felt herself color. Stupid! She could practically see the "IDIOT" stamped on her forehead now. "What about Heero?"

            "As if that'll work," Hilde said dryly. "Why won't you just admit it? He's cute anyway—but I was talking about Duo—I see no reason why you won't just admit it. We won't stone you to death, you know."

            "Because it complicates matters," she replied, sighing heavily as she reclined on her bed. "I don't need a guy in my life right now. I'm perfectly content before. And I'm just lying to him this way. And he probably won't like Relena anyway."

            "I sense a lot of insecurities here," Hilde said, sounding concerned. "Lena, you're one of the most sought-after girls in the entire academy. I don't see why you have to worry about that."

            "Because they like looking at me and my bank account."

            "A bit jaded, aren't we?" Hilde snorted. "Will you listen to yourself? You've been keeping this front of being really good at everything that I thought before that having you spend time in a boy's school would help. But you keep fighting off whatever good it's bringing you."

            "And what good would that be?"

            "You're an interesting person with a good heart, anyone would have to be blind not to realize that. But you lack self-confidence where you need it most. In yourself." Hilde paused. "Yeah, you act as if you're always sure of yourself but your friends can see through you."

            "So I'm a fake?"

            "No, but you're keeping a front and it's not helping you. But after seeing you now after a few weeks there, I've seen changes. The others noticed it as well. You're not that afraid to do something on your own anymore. You can live with and befriend a bunch of guys who aren't introduced to you by your brother. I think that's a really good change. It shows you're no longer afraid of men."

            "Who said anything about me being afraid of men?" she demanded, sitting up and exhaling loudly. Did they really see that in her?

            "My brother, my brother, my brother…he's the only man you've gotten close enough with! Name me a boy our age you're close with that your brother didn't introduce you to," Hilde challenged.

            Relena opened her mouth to prove her friend wrong but stopped. "Heero."

            She could practically see her friend smiling at the other end of the line. Okay, bad choice. She felt herself flush once more. Why did it have to be Heero?

            Hilde cleared her throat. "Point proven. I'll let you ponder on your own for now. But hey, for what it's worth, it was great seeing you again. Oh, and you have more color in your cheeks—not the blush though there was a lot of that tonight—than you usually have. I really think this is doing you good." Hilde ended the conversation.

            Relena stared at the phone in her hand for a while before tossing it at the bed as she stood up. She studied her reflection on the mirror on her bathroom wall and frowned. Hilde was right. Her cheeks had a rosy tint on it. She smiled at the reflection as she thought about a certain young man and blushed. Okay, so maybe Hilde was right. Her stay at SKA _is_ doing her good. No need to let her know and gloat about it though.

~*~*~*~

            "Should I be checking the gutters for the boy's remains tomorrow morning?"

            Heero paused from where he was working on the worksheet for the Basketball club. He encircled Dorian's name and stared at his friend. "Huh?"

            "James' remains," Duo grinned, plopping on his bed, "should I check the gutters for his remains tomorrow if he fails to show up for breakfast?"

            The Japanese's eyes darkened and his face twisted into a scowl. He turned back to the worksheet and continued analyzing the statistics given to him for the coach. But not before muttering, "If there will be anything remaining once I'm through him."

            "A tad too protective, aren't we?" Duo gave him a sunny smile from where he was lying on his stomach on the blue-blanketed bed. He shrugged when Heero glared at him. "Rey can take care of himself."

            "You were worried when he didn't show up to eat," Heero stated.

            "Yeah, but not half as worried as you were," Duo muttered under his breath and rolled his eyes. Why won't he just admit it? He feels _something_ for the newcomer. It wouldn't kill him to open up a little.

            "I think it'll do you a world of good," Duo said, turning to face the wall.

            The other occupant of the room stared at his friend's back. "What? To kill the stupid ass?"

            "Being honest to yourself. But that'll work too. It'll help relieve some stress."

            "What do you mean?" Heero pushed the papers away and shifted in a more comfortable position on the couch. He could always work on it later. Duo was in one of his unusual "guru" moods.

            "You know what I'm talking about."

            "No, I don't. Tell me."

            "Things happen for a reason. Sometimes, change is good." When Heero's only response was silence Duo shook his head and yawned. "I'm sleeping. But think about what I said. Good      night, Heero."

            Heero could only nod in response, eyes filled with raging emotions he wasn't sure he could handle at the moment.

Tbc

            Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? Lost your lunch? Gifts? Threats? Praises? Mail me and tell me! ^_^ Send 'em over at kuroi_22@hotmail.com

=====

            Sorry for keeping this short. But I'm kinda in the process of reconstructing (yet again! I've lost count on the times I've reconstructed) my site. So fic updates will be a bit slow for a while. Gomen. .


	8. Part 8

Disclaimers: Not mine, no money, don't sue, me is just a poor undergraduate, me owns nothing. 

            And I was inspired by Lorena's fic, Chiaroscuro. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: Um, this is going to have Shounen Ai in it. But that's to be expected since this _is_ taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk.

            Additional: I'm done with school for the next two months! YAY! ::cheers:: And what's more, no more nuns to get on my case for almost everything. Come June 2003, it'll be Dominican priests I'll be faced with instead of the Paulinian nuns who've terrorized me. ::pauses:: Wait…is that a good thing? Or has my life just turned for the worse? ^____________^

DEDI: This one goes out to one of my best friends, Shengskot. Thanks for putting up with me the past few weeks. I believe I have SHREW stamped on my forehead now. ^_^ I plead student burn out. Thanks for the support and all! ::glompies::

====

Part 8

            Relena's face scrunched. She was faced with the most difficult test a man was ever to face. Around her, the other three seated at the table with her waited with bated breaths. The young newcomer was challenged to prove her skill at decision-making. Her future could very well rest on what the result her actions would bring. Please give me strength, she prayed in her head.

            Now or never.

            "Two pairs," she said, laying her cards on the table and looking intently into Duo's intense violet orbs.

            Duo's face crumpled and he sighed, throwing his cards on the table. "Crap. I was hoping to get away with it," he sulked. He didn't have any card that would merit him victory.

            Relena sighed in relief. She was afraid Duo would beat her. For the past three hours, she and Duo had been going at each other's throats on winning the poker game. So far, the braided boy was winning. But her winning streak was starting now. She'll be on a roll; she felt it. She's going to win!

            All the cramps on various parts of her body from sitting on the chair without standing up for three whole hours were paying off. She was going to beat the self-proclaimed Poker King tonight! She grinned happily as she started to reach for the bag of M&Ms at Duo's side when Quatre cleared his throat.

            Right. She forgot about him. Well, she'd be glad to rid him of his candies as well. Trowa, the one occupying the last seat on their square had long given up when Relena and Duo started hurling candies at each other, declaring who was better. She gave the blond a sunny smile and was about to reach for the candies when he shook his head and placed him cards on the table for them to see.

            "I think this round's mine," Quatre said cheerfully as Relena stared, dumbstruck at the royal flush.

~*~*~*~

            "Stop laughing, you damn hyena!" Relena exclaimed as she forcefully planted a foot on the rocky terrain. She hiked her bag higher on her back and wiped the beads of perspiration on her forehead.

            Heero only laughed harder. He clutched his stomach as his companion adjusted his visor to keep the rays off his eyes, therefore sparing himself the risk of blindness. Reynald shot him another glare before storming ahead. It only caused Heero to laugh harder as he followed him.

            They were hiking the hill that had been neglected far too long. Relena felt safe to go out of her room without killing a certain senior so Heero had asked her if she was up to the hike that was scheduled two days ago. Not one to back out from a challenge, and definitely hearing one form the tone of Heero's voice when he asked her, she told him to meet her at the foot of the hill in ten minutes. And now she had just finished narrating her embarrassing defeat against the soft-spoken blond.

            "I guess nobody warned you," Heero said when he was finally able to rein his laughter, "Trowa's the man to hunt when you need a good poker tutor. And knowing those two…"

            "You could've told me that earlier. No wonder Duo seemed relieved when Trowa stopped playing. And I thought I was starting to win!" she wailed.

            Heero shrugged. "I wasn't with you, remember? Wufei and I were playing tennis last night."

            She paused and allowed Heero to catch up (though he could have done so without much effort) and wrinkled her nose. "I don't see why you had to play that late. It's not like you needed to practice anyway. You can beat whoever you're up against without breaking into a sweat."

            The young man beside her grinned and her eyes widened while her cheeks flamed. "I know what you're thinking. Should I tell Duo he needs to resize the doors of your room 'cause your head's growing too big?"

            "So you think I'm good, eh?"

            "The weather's nice, isn't it?" she asked, hoping to change to conversation. She tired the bandana on her head and grinned. "Race ya!" Then sprinted away, hoping Heero would forget about what she said and turn his attention elsewhere. To the race she started for example. She directed all her energy to get to the lodge at the top before Heero did. She knew if there was something Heero loved, it was a good challenge.

            And if there was one thing Relena hated, it was losing a challenge. Heero shrugged when their eyes met at the lodge. Collapsing on the wooden floorboards of the cabin, she struggled to catch her breath. Meanwhile, Heero took a few deep breaths then he was breathing normal again.

            "Not fair at all" Heero heard Reynald mutter from the floor. He took off his backpack and snatched the bottle of water from inside and threw it to him. "Drink this." He caught it easily and nodded his thanks. "You've increased your stamina from the first time but it's still not enough."

            "I'm just playing for a few weeks, not for my whole life," the blond replied and when one of Heero's eyebrows rose, she cleared her throat. "I mean… I'm think maybe basketball's not for me. I was thinking of fencing." Dorothy had always bugged her about that. Might as well give it a try.

            "You should've signed up for fencing earlier then, you could've saved me my time and energy," Heero replied gruffly. So the idiot was considering changing courses, eh? Stupid. He took the bottle from him and drank from it. He paused, eyebrows knitting. Why the hell did it smell like one of those strawberry-flavored lip gloss his cousins always used?

            "Would you mind telling me what's with the mood swings?" Relena rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you've got your period."

            "Very funny," Heero replaced the cap and shoved it in his bag irritably but smiled despite himself. "What would you bet to see me make you eat dust racing you back down?"

            "No bet. You'll reach it faster since you'll be rolling," she replied while she attempted to get up from where she was sprawled on the ground. After much grunting and struggling she finally managed to stand up. "Are you ready for the roll of your life?"

            "If you dare so much as to lay even a finger on me, I swear you'll be the one rolling down this hill!" Heero threatened.

            "Bah! Empty threats," she waved them off. She gave him a predatory grin and dove for him. She caught him squarely by the shoulders and pushed, intending to make it seem like she was really going to do it. But she was surprised by her own strength.

            Heero's eyes widened and a small undignified sound escaped his lips before he could stop himself. He caught the other's arm as he flailed his arms wildly in a vain effort to regain his balance. He only had a second to open his mouth before they both found themselves rolling down the hill. "AAARRRGGGHHHHHH!"

            "This is—ow!—all your—ugh!—fault," Relena said as Heero tumbled underneath her then on top of her then underneath again. She was aware of every bit of dried leaves and twigs attaching themselves onto her hair and body parts.

            "Me? You—(grunt)—were the one who—pushed me," Heero protested, his voice a bit muffled as they continued to roll downward. "You're lucky we haven't encountered stones yet—"

            "You just had to say it, didn't you?" Relena grunted as the jagged edges of stones and pebbles embedded themselves on her exposed skin. She was sure Heero was having the same acupuncture treatment.

            At last their Calvary ended and when they stopped, both were panting. Relena's eyes were closed and she was distinctly aware of the weight on top of her. "Geroff," she said weakly. She used her elbows to support her weight as she stood up. She finally opened her eyes to find herself face to face with Heero, his face mere inches away. Her breathing hitched and she found trouble breathing yet again.

            Heero stared at the beautiful shade of purple in front of him. He knew that shade. But his eyes seemed more beautiful under the filtered light of the sun through the foliage. Reynald's thick lashes brushed against his cheeks and his eyes fell on the lips that seemed to invite him for a kiss. Not being able to resist himself, he closed the distance between them and claimed those soft yielding lips.

            When they broke apart, Relena stared at Heero in disbelief. What was going on? This wasn't in the plan. Actually, there was _no_ plan. When will her lightning ever be delivered?

            Before either of them could say or do anything, Duo's voice broke the silence surrounding them. "Rey? Heero?" their loudmouthed called out from a good distance.  It was apparent they had not been spotted yet.

            Heero quickly stood up and held out his hand for Reynald to take to get to his feet. She took it shyly then started to brush the leaves, twigs and leaves that found comfort in her body. A discreet glance on her right confirmed that Heero was doing the same thing.

            After calling out to Duo, Relena started looking around her, looking anywhere but at Heero who was doing the very same thing. She marveled at the untamed beauty around her, momentarily forgetting the boy who had been occupying her mind for the past few days. The trees grew in soaring heights and she could feel the foresty-smell of the hill as if she were really in a mountain rather than a hill. The leaves scratched her skin while roots crept on the ground by her feet.

            Duo reached them at long last and Relena greeted him with a smile. "Hey," she said. "I wasn't expecting to see you. Joining the hike?"

            The one addressed the question to shook his head. "Not really. I'm the bearer of bad news, unfortunately."

            "Bad news? What happened?" Relena asked, worry laced with concern apparent in her voice.

            "Heero, you've got visitors. It's _them_."

            She heard a litany of curses from behind her and frowned.  Visitors for Heero? That was good, wasn't it? So he wasn't alone as she thought he was after all. Those were most likely his family waiting at the school.

            "We'll continue our hike some other time, Dorian," Heero said before brushing past her and Duo as he started his solitary journey back.

            Relena turned to her friend. "What's wrong? He doesn't seem that happy to have someone visiting him."

            Duo shook his head. "Heero's got issues with his family. It's best to leave him alone for a while. Until they leave anyway. They don't really stay long, just about an hour or so then they'll be on their merry way."

            She nodded but she was frowning inside. She didn't understand. Weren't visits like this supposed to last very long? Her family used to visit her from morning until late in the evening. She wasn't that well acquainted to the visitation rules and guidelines of SKA but she was sure relatives were free to visit their sons as long as it was at a reasonable hour and day. But she noticed the students enrolled for the summer program rarely got visits from any of their family and friends. "Will Heero be okay?"

            "I guess so. It's the same every summer for him anyway."

~*~*~*~

            "Look, there he is now, honey, doesn't he look handsome?" Heero cringed. He always did whenever he heard his stepmother's shrill voice. After the hike, he hadn't bothered to take a shower or at least make himself presentable. He was positively reeking of leaves, molds and perspiration but he didn't care a jot. Let that be another bad trait added under his name in the list Mrs. Yuy kept.

            The vice-principal who, up until then, was keeping a lively jabber with Mr. Yuy's lovely young wife, smiled. "I shall leave you to spend some time with your son then. Good day."

            Heero watched the plump man nearing baldness leave. When he was left alone in the visiting lounge where most parents waited for their sons to show, he sighed inwardly. Here we go again. "How have you been, father, mother?" he asked, almost having to spat the last word out.

            Mother. Yeah, right. His father might have "moved on" from his wife's untimely demise three years ago but not his son. He knew how miserable his mother had been with his father even until her last moment. Mr. Yuy had been openly cavorting with the younger woman just when Heero had turned nine and now, she finally succeeded in snagging her prize: wifehood to the powerful Army General.

            He had been strongly opposed to the idea of remarriage that his father decided to send him to a boarding school since it was obvious Angeline wouldn't have anyone else's child but her own in the house. He was even restricted to go home for summer. And now she had the gall to act all excited at seeing her stepson. She might have fooled everyone else but not him.

            "We've been really well, Heero," Angeline smiled, blinking quite adorably at him. "That nice man has been telling us all about you, dear. How nice that you're the captain of the basketball team. Oh, and he told Ichitaka and I you're at the top of your class again. We're so proud of you." She wrapped her arms around him and Heero struggled to be free of her hug but he caught the fierce look his father sent him. He endured the breath-stealing hug in tortured silence.

            "Angel, why don't you tell him about the good news," his father said, regarding his son with flat blue eyes.

            "Oh, yes! The good news!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands in delight. "Heero, you're going to have a baby brother!" she grinned. "Isn't that great? We're going to have a baby just like you. A mini-Heero. Isn't that adorable?"

            "Fantastic," he deadpanned. "Let's hope he also inherits my brain, since it'll be quite sad if he gets his IQ from his mother."

            "Heero!"

            The pretty brunette cleared her throat. "I think I'll go to the powder room for a minute," she forced a smile as she left the room in hurried steps.

            "Well? Are you happy now? Your mother's upset, no thanks to you," the older Yuy's voice boomed and Heero flinched. He remembered the times he had to lie on his stomach at night because of the pain his father's belt caused his rear.

            "_Stepmother_," he corrected. "And I was merely stating a fact. How is married life with the girl ten years your junior? A baby, huh? Couldn't get any better, I guess."

            "I'm warning you, young man, show respect to her. She's your new mother, whether you like it or not."

            "I can see that. And apparently, my opinion doesn't really matter. But I believe all's well at home since I'm at the boarding school. My dark presence won't upset lovely, fragile Angel and her new baby." He ignored his father's murderous glare. "Oh, wait, I forgot gold-digging in describing her."

            "You will stop calling her names this instant!" Mr. Yuy cleared his throat and when he reined his temper, he spoke again. "It is most unfortunate that you're still bitter for whatever ridiculous reason that I've wedded Angeline. We were hoping that you could join us for the rest of summer vacation in Europe but it seems like you'll be staying here with the rest of the boys."

            Ridiculous? Was mourning for his mother ridiculous? It seemed so to the husband who never cared for his dead wife. Heero also knew they really had no intention of letting them join the trip. "Better here than with sweet little Angel. Thank you very much for the offer though."

            His father glared at him until Angeline came back from her long toilet break. "Heero, dear, I'm so sorry to cut this visit short but I've been terribly fatigued. And I have to watch my health because of the baby," she said wistfully. "But you'll join us in Europe won't you?"

            "I'm afraid Heero's too busy to go to Europe. But he promised to write us," her husband said, taking her hand and holding her close to him. "As you can see, your mother's not feeling too well. We'd best be on our way."

            Heero shrugged. "Goodbye, father." He merely regarded his son with a nod.

            "Until next summer, darling," Angeline kissed his forehead before leaving. The second they were out of sight, he furiously scrubbed his forehead with a handkerchief. Darling my ass.

            Relena shoved her hands in the pocket of her shorts. Duo told her he had to go back to the pool so she was left to walk to her dorm alone. As she neared the building she noticed a couple walking away from the direction of the main hall. The man who was dressed in a general's uniform was holding a pretty young woman.

            She wondered whose parents they could be. Though the man looked commanding and impregnable he was supporting most of his little wife's weight as she leaned on him. The woman, dressed in an elegant and obviously expensive white dress shook her head, causing the ebony hair to cascade down her shoulders. She looked just like a sweet little angel. She was sure whoever the couple's son was, he was sweet-tempered as his mother. She heard snatches of their conversation as she neared.

            "How dare that devil spawn say such vile things about me!" the woman shrieked. "I'll be damned if my baby takes after that little creature you call son!"

            "Hush, now, now," the man said, caressing her back in an effort to soothe her. "He's still sad about his mother's death, try to understand him."

            "Sad?" she spat incredulously. "That docile deer you called wife died three years ago! She's dead, rotting six feet under the ground, for Christ's sake. Don't try to defend that boy of yours, Taka. He simply likes to make my life hell. And I'm telling you, if he sets foot in our house again, I'm packing my bags and you can be damned sure that divorce papers are on the way after."

            "I know, that's why I'm keeping Heero in the boarding school. Now, watch your temper, it's not good for the baby…"

            Relena watched them go in silence. Heero? They were Heero's parents? No wonder Heero wasn't jumping with joy when Duo announced their arrival. She spied Heero's form leaving, probably heading to his dorm, and she hid behind the hedges adorning the front yard as he passed by. She looked down on the ground, embarrassed for the past things she told him.

            He had been right when he told her she didn't understand. But now, she did. Heero was hurting from inside.

~*~*~*~

            Heero looked up when he felt someone sit next to him. He was sitting at the edge of the school garden, the very same spot he and Rey had spent the night at when he was drunk. He turned his attention back to the principal's cat lounging around three meters away.

            Reynald watched with him in silence for another minute before he cleared his throat. Heero ignored him still.

            Relena glared at the young man next to her. Obviously, he wasn't going to make it easy for her. "A sanctuary," she whispered softly.

            He stiffened then turned to her. "What did you say?"

            "A sanctuary," she repeated. "We all need a sanctuary. I guess for you, this place gives you some degree of comfort. It usually helps to wander off on your own after a grueling encounter with something or someone unpleasant."

            "What did Duo tell you?"

            "Nothing. I, uh, I overheard your parents talking," she admitted in a small voice.

            Heero felt his cheeks flame.  It was one thing to know how pathetic his family life was, it was another when someone else becomes aware of it. "And what sweet words did you hear pour forth from my lovely stepmother's mouth?" He wasn't really expecting a response. That would've been even more degrading; to hear foul words repeated for his ears to hear.

            She shrugged. "You can guess what she said. But either way, it just proved to me that a person can't be judged merely due to appearance." A pregnant pause. "Don't let it get to you."

            "I don't. I don't give a shit if she thinks I'm the devil's spawn."

            She reddened. She remembered distinctly calling him that few days ago when they were hiking. But she meant it in a purely different context. "I think they're wrong. You're not horrible like they say you are."

            "Be sure to tell them that next summer." Heero leaned back, palms flat on the ground to support his weight.

            Relena's brows knitted. She wasn't used to Heero like this. She didn't know what to say to help him, alleviate the pain somehow. "They're wrong about you," she stated, surprising herself and Heero with the sincerity strongly evident in her voice. She gently placed her hand on top of Heero's and gave it a soft squeeze while looking straight ahead, staring at the tabby cat.

Tbc

===

            Sorry it's a bit short. What can I possibly say? The call of GRAVI's too strong. ^_^

NOTES: Btw, please be reminded this fic has Shounen Ai. It's inevitable especially in a school exclusive for boys. If that doesn't sit well with you, there's always the back button. ^_^


	9. Part 9

Disclaimers: standard disclaimers apply. Suing me won't get you anywhere. But I'll be happy to give you James for settlement. ^_^

            I was inspired by Lorena's fic, _Chiaroscuro_. But it's not the same thing, I'm just borrowing the idea of the nightmare in studying in a private school (which I'm currently experiencing). ^___^

Warnings: AU, Cross-dressing. Language. Lame attempt at humor. Lil' bit o' Shounen Ai? By me, 'nuff to scare you? ^___^

Notes: This is going to have Shounen Ai in it. But that's to be expected since this _is taking place in an academy exclusively for boys. So… if you don't like that, there's the back button for you. But it's not really that detailed, just kissing and stuff, it's for the plot. ::grin:: Oh, well. Read at your own risk._

NOTES 2: Sorry for the long update. I was modem-less for quite a while, forcing me off cyberspace, thus my silence. Part 8 was sitting on my HD waiting to be uploaded and stuff. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed and urged [if not demanded ^_^] me to write. It warms my heart to know people are still reading and liking. So, here's part 9 for you!

====

Part 9

            The rhythmic beating on her door woke her up. The sounds proving to be like hammers pounding inside her head, Relena opened her eyes with a low groan. The clock on her bureau read ten-fifty. Already? she thought as she slowly got up from bed, ignoring the thousand stones grinding against each other in her head with each movement.

            She carefully put on the wig she carelessly threw on the floor the night before and made her way toward the other side of the room where the door out and her general "come-in-sit-down-relax" area were located. The girl tightened the knot of her robe and thanked her lucky charms that she was wearing an oversized shirt that didn't show her curves. She didn't think she could bind her breasts without fainting.

            "Yes?" A sleepy, worse for wear Reynald greeted the cheerful Duo whose hand was poised for another series of knocking when the door swung open. He frowned. "You look like shit. Rey? You okay?"

            "Thank you for putting it oh-so eloquently, Duo. But yeah, I just need the room to stop swaying and I'll be fine," she replied, stepping back to let him in. She moved toward the direction of the couch but ended up staggering forward when she tripped over a pile of dirty shirts. "Sorry for the mess, been too lazy lately," she mumbled and her friend could only nod. "Can I get you anything?"

            Duo shook his head, walking over to her and pulling her to him, supporting her weight. Relena panicked for a second, wondering what he was doing but her worries subsided when he spoke.

            "What can I get _you_? You should be in bed, young man," Duo admonished slightly with a smile. "It's obvious you're not feeling well. It's back to the bed for you!"

            "No," she protested weakly. "I wanna go down for meals and I still have hiking with Heero." She tried to struggle, planting her feet firmly on the ground while Duo half-carried, half-dragged her to the bed, but all remained futile since she was overpowered, and she was already too weak to put up a fight anyway.

            "Now, be a good boy and let Duo take care of things, okay?" he said, taking the light blue robe Relena shrugged out of while tucked under the blanket. He placed the back of his hand against Relena's forehead and the other on his and frowned. "You don't have a fever, just a bit hot but stay in bed nonetheless. We don't wanna take chances, do we?" He didn't wait for a response as he draped the robe at the foot of the bed and straightened. "I'll get you something to eat then some medicine to make you feel better. Promise me you won't try to get up till I return?"

            Relena merely grunted in response. He shrugged. Good enough for him. "Be back in a flash," he promised before the door shut behind him.

            She turned to her side and sighed heavily. The last thing she needed was a fever. Or something like it. It was her last week in SKA and she was at her wits' end about the whole Relena-Heero-Reynald fiasco. Snuggling deeper under the cover, she closed her eyes and willed the migraine away. No such luck. Someone was having too much fun hammering her head. The soft mattress seemed to swallow her whole and she shifted in various positions until she found one that suited her just perfectly. Then realized with a start when she opened her eyes that she was staring face to face with the snapshot Duo had of all of them lying leisurely on the grass in the garden. Her eyes instantly fell on the young man sitting a few feet away from her on the picture, a novel resting idly at his lap.

            The politician-to-be groaned. Six more days and it's goodbye Heero forever. And here she was squandering those limited days wasting away in her bed completely devoid of said boy's company. 

            This sucks.

~*~*~*~

            "And Heero told me you were next to Quatre in the Neat Freak Hall of Fame." She groggily opened her eyes and saw the blurred brown shape crouched at the foot of her bed. "Duo?"

            "The one and only," he replied, picking the shirts up from the floor. He deposited them at the laundry basket he had in his left hand and smiled. "Your food's on the table. I didn't want to wake you since you looked so tired so it's a bit cold. But edible and healthy nonetheless. Eat up."

            She started to sit up but paused, realizing she wasn't exactly looking like Reynald at the moment. She peeked underneath the blanket to see if whatever she has been hiding was still a secret and was relieved to see that even though it wasn't that well-hidden, it wasn't obvious either. And she was also grateful the room stopped spinning. That's one thing less to worry about. "Duo, you really don't have to do that," she said as she grabbed her robe.

            Her friend was now crouched next to the couch, broom and dustpan at hand. "S'okay. I like doing housework as long as it's not my own house I'm cleaning," then paused, " weird." He continued sweeping. "Does Hilde like guys doing chores?"

            That brought a smile on Relena's lips. Aha! "Guess so. She's a bit of a slob herself—relies on her roommate too much to clean the room—so it would be great to have someone who knows how to clean once in a while."

            Her friend came over to where she was standing, or rather, leaning with her hand on the desk to support her weight and shook his head fervently. "You're staying in bed, mister. I'm not taking any chance of you losing balance and fainting to your death while you struggle to go to the little table and eat."

            "I'm okay, Duo, really," she tried to argue. "The room stopped spinning. The sleep really helped."

            "It's back to the bed with you!" he exclaimed, pushing her to the bed and making her lie down. He nodded in approval when she did comply, seeing how pointless her attempts were when faced with a concerned friend. "I'll bring the food to you."

            "Thanks, Duo," she smiled. "But you don't have to do this. I'm fine. And I don't want you catching whatever it is I have." However all thoughts of being self-sufficient flew out of her mind when Duo took out a bottle of Coke from the mini-fridge she had. Coke! Her one true love! Okay, so she used to say she stayed away from carbonated drinks, but what could she possibly say? She was a hypocrite. She was a mere mortal and no one's ever resisted the dark colored liquid! Maybe being sick has its advantages. Duo was often more than unwilling to share his soft drinks.

            "Don't worry, it'll take more than a slight fever to get me down," he winked as he set the food on a tray.

            "I guess so," she said, relaxing against the wall she propped a pillow behind her on. "I need a breather anyway. I have my own slave driver in the person of Heero Yuy. This forced rest may actually be a good thing." Keep the Coke coming, and I'm one happy gal! She leaned back on her pillow and closed her eyes, gradually feeling her muscles relax. She deserved this. Nothing could make her get up from the bed now.

            "Yeah, you should rest. Heero will roast my behind when he finds you not getting first-class treatment when he stops by later," Duo commented when he placed the tray on the side table.

            Her muscles seemed to strain. Wha—WHAT? "He's coming?" she exclaimed, jumping out of the bed and making a mad dash for the bathroom when Duo grabbed a handful of her oversized shirt and grinned.

            "I thought you were sick?"

            Relena blushed. She thought she was sick! "You have just witnessed a miracle. I've miraculously made a complete 360º recovery."

            "Nice try, Rey. But that won't work on me." He gave her a sly smile before returning to cleaning her room. "Eat your food before it gets any colder."

            She sat back down on her bed with a sigh, grabbing the glass of carbonated drink first. She may have ulcer but she figured they were rich enough she could afford the bill. Maybe buy herself a new liver even. Besides, with what just happened, she _needed_ coke.

            "I've been noticing things, Rey, while you were asleep," Duo began as he picked up something from the floor that she couldn't see since his back was on her.

            "What things?" she asked, reaching for the Clam Chowder her friend had generously supplied for her. She wondered briefly where he got the so-called soup.

            "I dunno," he shrugged, walking toward her with the basket in hand and sat next to her. "Like where these underwear came from?" The hand with the spoon froze mid-air and she quickly replaced the spoon back to the bowl and reached for the Coke.

            She recognized the bear-print bra in front of her face. Oh my god. Things just couldn't possibly get any worse than this. Here was a guy, one she considered a friend, waving her underwear in front of her like a flag. What had she done in her past life to merit this? Did the gods hate her that much? _I knew I should've told mom it was me trying to mow the lawn as a Mother's Day present who ruined her prized garden and not the supposed drunkard who run the rosebushes over with his beemer._

            "Don't you have those in your room too?" she asked in a small voice.

            "Not with bears on them I don't," was the sarcastic reply. Then grinned. "I never thought you were one to break the rules, Rey! I mean, yeah, you brought your friends here though it was against the rule but having sex in the dorms with some girls?"

            "Eh?"

            "Don't act all innocent now. Not when I've got tons of these from all over the room!" he chuckled, grabbing said undergarments from the basket.

            My god, I didn't realize how much of a disgusting slob I've become, Relena thought as she stared in horror as her colorful and cutely printed undergarments flew above her head. And Duo had been cleaning the room for only god knows how long. She noticed her favorite bra, a black halter with white bears printed all over it land on Duo's head. She wished, for the umpteenth time since she stepped into the halls of SKA, for her lighting to be delivered.

            "So, do you keep track of the owners of these goodies?"

            WHAT? He thought someone else was as crazed and as fetish'd as she with regards to cute underwear? "These are all mine!"

            Not a second before those words left her mouth did she realize just what she said. She could've taken the easy way out with Duo thinking she was a very horny teenager, but _no_. She just _had_ to open her big mouth. She considered stuffing the underwear in her mouth in an effort to save herself from further humiliation.

            Duo stared at her for a full minute before understanding dawned on him. Relena felt the world beneath her crumble. Had she been found out? She wanted to tell her friends the truth, but definitely not this way.

            "I never thought you had it in you, Rey. Or is it Reina?"

            Relena sighed and took a deep breath. Well, here goes nothing. Might as well tell him everything and get on with it. "Duo, there's something I have to tell you. You may be a bit...shocked at first but really, it's nothing too serious."

            "Rey…you know, like Cat and Tro, I understand. Though your situation's a bit different, it's okay."

            What? Mentally shrugging, she continued, "I haven't exactly been honest with you guys. I've been keeping this little secret—"

            "So Heero was right after all! You were hiding something. This has something to do with the undies, right?"

            Heero? He knew? Please kill me now. Steeling herself, she nodded. "I know you noticed that I act a bit different from you guys," she paused, taking a deep breath yet again. Nobody warned her confessing was going to be this hard! She knew she was giving an overripe tomato a run for its money with the shade of red her whole face (not to mention body) was in. "Well, it's because—"

            "You like drag. So what?"

            The whole seemed to freeze and Relena stared at her friend. Wh—what? What? _WHAT?_

            Duo shrugged, standing up and giving him a comforting smile. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. And like I said earlier, I understand. You don't have to be ashamed or embarrassed. I have it in good authority that you're not the only one who loves cross-dressing. There are others like you. So don't feel like you're any different from us just because you like women's clothes better."

            She continued to stare stupidly at him.

            "Well, your room's relatively clean now so I guess I better go back down and see how the team's faring at the pool without me. I'll be back to check on you later. Now remember, rest!" With one final wave he left her alone to her stupor.

            "That went well," she said aloud, blinking as the shock slowly wore off. She hasn't exactly exposed herself as a girl but he did find out she was a cross-dresser. It was a half-truth anyway.

            She glanced at the collection of bras and panties littered all over the bed, majority on her lap and groaned, collapsing back on her bed. "Why do bad things happen to good people?"

~*~*~*~

            The day worn on without much event for Relena. She no longer felt sick in any way so she spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning her room since Duo had forbidden her to leave her room lest she got worse. Yeah, right. One of the things Relena detested the most was doing nothing but lie on her bed so she took a quick shower and bound her breast before putting another oversized shirt on.

            After doing her laundry and making sure none of her undergarments were to be seen by anyone other than her again, she proceeded to do the dishes that started to pile. She scrubbed and washed with vehemence, channeling her excess energy to the dishes since she had no use for it anyway now that she wasn't hiking with Heero.

            And she'd been looking forward to it, too! She dried her hands and grabbed a rag. She figured she could wipe the surfaces of the room to keep her busy since she was done with the laundry, dishes and sweeping. There was nothing else to do.

            She proceeded to make the pictures dust-free first then stopped when she got to the snapshot of her with her new friends. She stared at Heero's face and felt a smile tugging on her lips. 

            Okay, so maybe he wasn't as bad as she originally thought he was. He wasn't that sadistic and he _did_ help her with the stamina thing. And he did have a sense of humor, even if she was at the receiving end of his so-called jokes. He was sarcastic but she liked that; she was getting tired of the sweet praises people sang for her. Not that she minded but it was a refreshing change and who knew if those compliments were even sincere anyway? She touched the face and marveled how soft his hair looked. She wondered if she had to pull his hair in a mock fight just to prove her theory that is was indeed soft.

            She caught her line of thinking and sighed, replacing the frame on the table. Getting into a fight just so she could have an excuse to touch his hair. "God, how psychotic." But she mulled the pros and cons of said act. She _was_ curious to know after all.

            Heero stared at the closed door at the end of the corridor. He had been standing on the hallway for more than an hour now. He crossed his arms over his chest and sighed, leaning against the wall. He dismissed the team earlier that afternoon since he couldn't really concentrate on anything.

            When he didn't show up for breakfast, he got worried. Sure, it wasn't uncommon for people to oversleep but still, what if something happened, right? So he sent Duo to check in on him. Then his friend came back with news that Reynald wasn't feeling well. He had to stop himself from racing to his room and taking care of him himself but thought better of it and stayed calm. He told Duo to take care of their friend and tell him if there was anything he could do to help. The braided idiot merely winked at him.

            What? So it's wrong to be concerned for a friend now?

            Then he hasn't heard anything from Duo afterwards; he went directly to the pool and Heero didn't have the chance to talk to him. So here he was, standing outside the boy's door, having an internal debate whether or not he should come in or just leave.

            He was confused. No, confused was an understatement. No word came close to describing how he felt at the moment. And with the whole kiss and comforting yesterday, he didn't know what to do. He couldn't fathom what evil force overcame him yesterday that made him kiss the other boy.

            He always thought of his as straight. Really, he did. And he even fancied himself liking this girl, Relena, but with the kiss yesterday...it just threw all the straightness out the window. It could've been a one-time deal but he knew he didn't want it to be like that.

            Yet another source of confusion. Given that he _was_ bi, what about Relena? He liked her, that much he knew. And he really would've liked to get to know her better, maybe even go beyond friends. But what about _Reynald_? He felt like he liked him as well.

            They were similar in so many ways. They were both beautiful and they both had spirit, something he liked. Liked very much. But they were two different people. Never mind the fact that they knew each other to some extent.

            So what should he do about his attraction for both? He prided himself for never being greedy, but now, he wanted them _both_. And he knew that wasn't possible. He had to choose. But who?

            And he saw the way Reynald looked at him before. He may act like a complete ass but it was obvious the other boy felt something for him. And the feeling was reciprocated. At least he thought it was. And he comforted him yesterday when he felt like he amounted nothing more than trash to his family.

            But so did Relena, even if the situation was different then. She even shared something about herself that made him understand her better. And she always knew how to make him laugh.

            So does Rey. And he was fun to be with. Who knew rolling down the hill could be so much fun? Never mind the bruise he had on his hip and the many scratches he had all over his legs.

            He didn't want to raise the other boy's hopes up. If he was going to choose one of them, he had better choose now.  So the other wouldn't expect something he couldn't give. It was better that way. He had just made his choice.

            He stood straighter and walked toward the door he had been keeping a vigil upon. It's back to Devil's Spawn Heero for Reynald. Sorry.

            The brunette frowned when the knob easily turned. Didn't the boy know how to lock his door? Especially when a sex maniac senior was on the loose? "They didn't put locks on doors for nothing," he said in his usual monotone when he stepped in and closed the door behind him.

            Relena looked up from the pictures, startled when someone suddenly spoke up. She smiled when she saw who it was though inside, her heart was doing a complicated acrobatic act. Sure, she was expecting him to stop by but no amount of pep talk prepared her for Heero looking sexier than usual in his tank top and faded jeans that clung to him like second skin._ I wonder if he'll attribute the nosebleed to the fever._

            Heero, for his part, couldn't help but stare at the expanse of smooth, creamy skin that was Reynald's legs where the oversized shirt left off. He cleared his throat. "Duo said you should stay in bed. What are you doing up?"

            "Cleaning my room," she replied. She walked toward the fridge and took out a couple of cans of soda, all the while trying to ignore the eyes that trailed her. Probably trying to bore a hole at the back of my head, she mused.

            He followed her and an undignified sound escaped her lips when she felt his arms wrapping around her. What's going on? Is he—is he hugging me? She felt the room become considerably warm. Then drop below zero when Heero carried the squirming bundle back to the bed where she was unceremoniously dropped.

            She glared at him, all warm and fuzzy feelings flying out the window. How dare you! Screw the fact she fit perfectly in his arms, what the hell did he do that for?

            As if reading her mind, he shrugged. "You should be in bed.  Didn't Duo clean your room?"

            "Yeah, he did a bit of cleaning. But I got bored just lying here like I'm on my deathbed so I thought I'd make the most of the day by cleaning the rest."

            "You'll overdo it. Just rest in bed."

            "If you hadn't noticed, _Doctor_ Yuy, I no longer feel feverish, not in the least bit," she retorted, rolling her eyes while she scrambled to sit up. She suddenly stopped when Heero dropped next to him and leveled her with a glare, his face just mere inches away. His forehead touched hers and Relena could feel her face growing warmer by the second.

            "You feel feverish to me right now," he stated, still not moving. Whatever the hell happened to becoming Devil's Spawn Heero? Devil's Spawn Heero doesn't say more than "stupid," "hn" and "hmm" when "conversing" with Reynald.

            That's because you're here, just a few millimeters away, she replied mentally. "I have that reaction whenever I share the same oxygen with arrogant, self-centered creatures such as yourself."

            "Oh? Then I'm afraid it'll just turn for the worse." Devil's Spawn Heero does _not_ experience sudden urges to kiss Reynald breathless.

            "Wh—" She never got to finish what she was going to say because Heero's lips met hers for the second time. And the third. And the fourth…

Tbc

====

            Hope you like! ^__^ It's a bit short but I wanted to get a new part out before Holy Week since I'll be shipped to the province then. The time when I would have to feel all the more sinful has arrived. Pray that I survive the week without much trauma. ::grin::

            Btw, I've decided to have a once-a-month update thingy. I figured that if I set a goal of one part per month, then there's a bigger chance of a monthly update since I'll be striving to meet that goal. But of course I'm not going to limit myself to just one part a month; it'll just be a target. If I come up with two in a month, the better, right? Just thought I'd let you know. ^_^


	10. Part 10

Going Undercover 

By Kuroi Tenshi

Part 10

            Three days. She only had three days left before she leaves the academy and go back to CHA. Relena sighed and looked outside her window as she pushed the heavy draperies aside. There were some boys playing soccer on the field below. She was going to miss looking outside her window and spying various activities the people at the field thought no one saw. She was going to miss talking to her friends during meals and free time. She was going to miss the basketball practices and the hikes. She was going to miss Heero.

            Nothing happened after Heero kissed her three days ago. She was torn between being disappointed and relieved. Part of her was wishing more of that happened but another part of her was thankful that it hadn't gone beyond kissing. She could have been found out!

            But after she was confined to her room, her friends made sure she had the best treatment right after. Even Wufei had stopped pestering her to take Advanced Algebra with him next sem, which she never would've had the chance to do so, had she agreed, since she would be back to CHA by then. And best of all, Heero had put a stop on their hiking. Instead, they busied their afternoons with quiet nature walks.

            She leaned against the glass window and closed her eyes. She didn't know what to do. She didn't want to simply disappear from everyone this coming Saturday. She could always leave a note but it didn't sit well with her she wouldn't even have the chance to say a proper goodbye to her friends. To Him.

            Someone knocked on her door and she straightened. "Yes?" she called out. She crossed the distance from the window to the door and waited for a response.

            "Open the door, Dorian."

            She felt herself smiling wearily. After all that they've been through, the kisses they've shared, it was still Dorian for him. She opened the door and rolled her eyes at him. "You're late, Yuy. We were supposed to go for the walk ten minutes ago. What's your excuse?"

            "I have no excuse. I have a _reason_," he replied, glaring at his impish smile. He resisted the urge to grab him and kiss him breathless right at the hallway and raised the picnic basket he held in his right hand instead.

            Relena beamed. "You're excused!"

            "Hn. I knew I would be," he said flatly though she saw the slight lifting of his lips. 

            She couldn't help the smile slowly making its way on her face. She locked her door then linked her arms with his and half-dragged him down the stairs. "Well, let's not waste the picnic you prepared and head straight for the clearing!" She glanced at her side and saw him barely suppressing a smile of his own.

            Then her mood made a sudden crash landing. Would you still smile like that once you find out the truth about me? Would you either hate Reynald or Relena? Or hate Reynald _and_ Relena?

~*~*~*~

            He cornered her as she was leaving her dorm building to meet Heero at the foothill.

            Glaring daggers and willing James to explode right before his eyes, Relena didn't do so much as blink, even when the afternoon sun caught reflection on the dorm's unfashionable reflective glass windows, which nearly blinded her. Shoulders sagging mentally, she sighed. It would've been nice had she been Carrie. She could deal with the pig's blood if she could somehow inflict bodily damage on the arrogant beast merely with her mind. Ah, well. "What do you want?"

            "I heard Yuy's been keeping you company a lot," he lazily drawled.

            "I fail to grasp how it would matter to you," she retorted, turning to walk away. But he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward him.

            With a cry of surprise mingled with outrage, Relena maneuvered a move she was forced to learn (and master) since meeting James Reyes. Without any trace of hesitancy, she successfully delivered a clean, swift, well-deserved knee onto his groin, effectively turning his genitals into mush.

            She watched in satisfaction as he doubled over with pain. Smiling to herself and feeling immensely proud of herself, she continued on her merry way, ignoring the litany of curses, threats of life and general howls of pain thrown her direction.

            Two days left and she was given a gift from above on how to settle the score with her gay admirer. Hmm. Who would've thought? Divine justice existed after all.

            As she rounded a corner, Heero stepped from behind a tree and grinned. "Didn't think you had it in you, Dorian."

            Feeling tremendously proud of herself, she sent him a smug smile as she fell into step next to him. She briefly took notice of how it enhanced Heero's look when the sun's rays fell on his brown hair and tanned skin. "Just giving him what was long overdue," she replied. As the gods are giving me what's mine. Looking elsewhere but at him, she boldly brushed her fingers with his and linked it after a second, looking straight ahead.

~*~*~*~

            The dinning hall was filled with the usual noise. People chattered and talked about various topics under the sun ranging from sports to the coming classes less than a month away. Relena smiled at her friends at the table and took a deep breath. She had been thinking about it for a while now. She would leave in two days and she wanted to at least bid her friends goodbye, even though it meant fabricating yet another tale.

            "You okay?" Duo asked, emptying his glass' contents in one gulp. "You've been acting a bit weird since you know," he whispered, "I told you it's okay."

            Her cheeks colored slightly at the memory of Duo still thinking of her as a cross dresser but she shook her head. "That's not it," she replied. Now or never. "Guys, I was thinking it's a bit hot the past few days, isn't it? What do you say we take a swim tonight?"

            Quatre frowned. "But I thought you were afraid of the pool since you almost drowned."

            Oh. Yeah. I forgot. I faint at the very sight of pools. "I…I decided that the first step to getting over the fear is facing it," she replied, giving them a smile that she hoped look brave. "Besides, it's been really hot and I think we could all use a swim. And I promise to wear the silver whistle," she said, trying to lighten the mood and change the subject.

            Heero looked uncertain. Would he really be all right? "Are you sure can enter the pool area without fainting dead on the spot, Dorian?"

            She glared at him. "Yes, I'm sure, Yuy. If I hadn't know better, I'd say you're worried about me," she remarked. Then saw the faint color on his cheeks. She looked down, her own cheeks growing considerably warm. She played with her fork and avoided everyone's eyes, just as Heero was.

            Wufei snorted. The two were so obvious. "Who'll be in charge of food?"

            Relena surveyed the wicker basket in front of her. All set. It had been agreed she and Duo would be in charge of the food since it was a known fact they both had their abundant stock of soda and chips. The basket was filled to the brim with chips and soda and she even threw in her secret stash of bubble gum.

            She sighed loudly. She wondered if she could go through it. She looked around the room and her eyes fell on the closet across the room. Hidden in the closet were her bags, all her clothes packed and even the picture frames neatly boxed. She could have left the very minute with no trouble at all.

            But she wanted to say goodbye at least.

            Going over her tale for the umpteenth time, she silently nodded in satisfaction. It was a bit bizarre, to say the least, but when you think about it, it made sense. Reynald got a call from his father three days ago, telling him that he wished him back home. The reason he was sent to SKA was so he could get used to what his new school would be, but now that his realized how much he missed his _son_ he wanted him back, probably for home-schooling again. He would promise to write, email and call them so they could still remain friends even if they were no longer in the same school. It seemed simple enough. She was sure they'd buy it. She hoped.

            The three precise knocks on her door signaled who was at the other side. Straightening her hair and the dark green shirt she wore, she walked to the door and opened it with a smile on her face. "You're making tardiness a habit, Yuy. Three minutes late?"

            She expected him to scowl at her, as he usually did, but he didn't. Instead, a small grin formed on his face. "I didn't think you were that anxious to see me that you kept tabs on the precise minutes."

            Her cheeks flamed. Very observant, he noticed. Can the floor please crumble beneath me now? "The basket's at the counter. Where's Duo?"

            "Went ahead with the others with his own basket. Told him to give us a minute or two alone."

            She froze. Wh—what? She cursed Heero's ability to turn her brain into a pathetic pile of mush in three seconds flat. She felt herself being pulled toward him and she dimly heard the door's lock click but paid it no heed. Intense blue met vibrant indigo. Her heart decelerated before accelerating full speed as his lips met hers.

            When they pulled apart, her lips were red and her breathing was uneven. She received a cheeky grin form Heero and she made a face. "Let's go. They'll start wondering what's taking us so long."

            Heero shrugged and walked to where the basket was but paused, looking around her room with a small frown. "What happened to your room? It seems a bit…"

            "Bare?" she supplied with a smile. "I decided to do some cleaning. I'll take my things out when I'm done," she lied quickly. "The others?" she reminded.

            He nodded. "Sure." He grabbed the basket and strode out of the room. Reynald locked the door and smiled at him. "Let's go," he said, walking ahead, sure the other would follow. He wasn't disappointed.

            He had been doing a lot of thinking lately. Thinking concerning Reynald and Relena. He was still uncertain how to proceed, who to choose, but he made up his mind that the sooner he decided, the better. He wouldn't want to hurt either one when he picked from them.

            To be frank, both were causing him sleepless nights as of late. They were so alike in so many ways that it was almost impossible to distinguish one from the other. He noticed the boy with him fidgeting. "What?"

            Relena froze. Then smiled. "What do you mean 'what?'"

            "What's causing you to fidget?" He noticed he seemed to pale. He sputtered some gibberish about his overly active imagination then stared straight ahead. Heero remembered his past suspicions regarding Reynald's credibility whenever he talked about himself. What was he hiding?

            "Are you sure it's nothing?"

            She nodded. Wondering briefly if Heero really did have the ability to read people's minds, she kept her eyes glued to the foliage surrounding them. The school's garden was after the pool. She could hear the faint splash from the pool and an indignant cry seconds after then shouts of laughter.

            She paused, just ten feet from the pool's entrance. Could she do it? She mentally banged her head against a brick wall, pulling her hair vehemently on the process. Now was NOT the time to get cold feet. But now was a good chance for the floor beneath her to give way. The honey blonde-haired teen sighed. Her resolve was faltering. Not good.

            Heero stopped next to her. "You okay?"

            My heart's doing a commendable job of F-1 racing and is giving Michael Schumacher a run for his money. But other than heart ailment, I can't be any better. "Yeah," she replied, giving him a look that implied he was crazy to have even asked such a question.

            Silently praying for the courage to take another step, she flashed what she hoped was a bright smile, enough to convince her sort-of-unofficial-boyfriend-slash-kissing-partner that what she said was true. Having mustered enough strength to go through what she had rehearsed more than a dozen times already, she walked forward.

            As she pushed the brown gate in she saw that her friends had already settled in. She glanced at her cotton shirt self-consciously when she saw them all naked from the waist up. She was a bit overdressed. And also… She knew she was attracted to Heero, but that didn't mean she was blind to the beauty of the male physique. Wow. Who would've thought Wufei was an eyeful underneath that biting arrogance and academic disposition?

            Her cheeks flamed when Heero placed the basket next to one of the lounge chairs Quatre occupied with Trowa and took his own black sleeveless sweatshirt off. My, it is just me or is it getting a little bit hot in here?

            "You ready to swim?" Heero asked, turning to Reynald, who seemed rooted where he stood. "Or do I throw you in, clothes and all?"

            She glared at him. "You will be wise to keep your paws to yourself, Yuy. Or I will have to be forced to push you into the water. One step toward my direction and I swear you'll be flying head first into the pool."

            "Let me see you try," Heero replied with a devious glint in his eyes.

            She backed away, not breaking eye contact. "Don't you dare!"

            "Don't I dare what?" Heero continued to advance. Then without another word, he lunged for him, neatly capturing him with both arms around the lithe form. "I distinctly recall you saying something about pushing me into the water if I took a step…" he whispered into his ear.

            Relena could feel herself blushing till the roots of her hair. She turned her head and gave him a defiant raise of an eyebrow. "I'll strike when you least expect me to."

            "Then I'll be looking forward to that, Dorian. Let me see you try."

            His breath was tickling her skin. She stared into his eyes and saw the lips mere inches away. Like a magnet drawn into metal, her own seemed to slowly bridge the distance between them. Her eyes slide close and she felt his arms around her tighten.

            "Oh, geez! Get a room, will ya?" Duo exclaimed from the steps, watching them both in amusement.

            They both sprung apart and Relena became very aware that they were the focus of four pairs of eyes in rapt attention. She flushed and touched the back of her neck self-consciously, hoping she could cover her face instead. Heero cleared his throat and straightened. He threw the blonde a small smile before walking toward the edge and jumping in.

            Wufei emerged from the water, sending their braided friend a few choice words for pushing him into the freezing pool. Spying Reynald sitting at the chair at the near end, he plopped down next to him. He grabbed a can of soda from the basket and spoke without looking at him, "You're good together."

            "Eh?"

            He rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend not to know what I'm talking about. Heero. Spending time with you is doing him a lot of good. He smiles more."

            She looked down at her lap. "I like being with him."

            "And it's obvious he likes being with you. He says you're not like the others. You're honest."

            The collar of her shirt seemed to smother her. "He…he said that?"

            "Do I strike you as the type to lie? I should be insulted."

            "Sorry," she replied lowly, gripping the can with both hands. After a moment of silence, she swallowed hard, "Thanks, Wufei. Can you, uh, can you excuse me for a sec? I need to go." With the Chinese youth's curt nod, she stood up and almost tripped over her own feet in an effort to get to the other side of the pool where she could be alone with her thoughts.

            She watched from the shadows as Duo splashed water all around while Trowa and Quatre pretty much kept to themselves near Duo and Heero. Wufei still sat by the chairs, munching on the goods they brought. Her brows furrowed. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to jump into the pool and drown all her worries, but she knew she couldn't do that. It would only make things worse when she emerged with long hair and breasts.

            Sighing, she sat on the grass, absently pulling on the leaves of the bushes separating the pool from the garden. She gathered her knees to her chest and hugged them close to her. She turned her head against the group fooling around few meters away and tried to block the sounds of laughter and splashing. She needed time to think.

            Suddenly her plan of lying to them didn't seem so good anymore. She hated lying. Most of all, she hated lying to Heero and her friends. What would Heero say if he found out she hasn't been completely up front with him and the rest since the beginning? Would he silently shake his head and turn away with disgust or would he glare at her and throw her into the pool?

            Knowing Heero, it would be the former. Relena shut her eyes. That wasn't comforting at all. She would rather if Heero threw her into the pool then release his anger on her then be over with it. That way, he'd be able to get it out. Then he wouldn't be angry with her anymore. Maybe then she could explain.

            But would he listen? Would he believe?

            Relena's eyes opened with surprise when she felt an arm snaking around her shoulders and pulling her close to the warm body of its owner. Heero gave her one of his rare smiles and ran his hands over her hair.

            "I noticed you weren't with us. You okay?"

            She stared into his blue eyes, eyes filled with warmth and a tinge of concern. She decided then. She would tell him. "Heero, there's something I need to tell you—" His finger on her lips silenced her.

            "Shh. I have something to tell you as well," he whispered, his arm around her tightening. "We haven't know each other that long. But whenever I'm with you, I always feel like time doesn't matter. I tried ignoring it first, denying it existed, but from the past few days, I realized it wasn't working. I wasn't being honest to myself.

            "But you…you've been honest to me and everyone else since the first time we met. You're refreshing. You say what's on your mind and you're not afraid to show your feelings. I admire that in you. You're always so honest."

            Relena's eyes widened. No! Heero, please don't say that… She shook her head and pulled away. She sat across him and looked straight into his eyes. "No, Heero, I have something to tell you. Please don't get mad but—"

            "I'll never get mad at you," he cut in, cupping her face with his hands. "Remember the times I got angry before? I was trying to cover the attraction I had for you then," he chuckled. "But I don't want to keep it from you any longer."

            "Heero, the truth is I'm not…"

            "I like you a lot, Reynald."

            Relena stopped, staring at him. The first time. It was the first time he called her by that name. Her eyes softened and she closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. "Oh, Heero, if you only knew…"

            He pulled her into his arms and she leaned against him, marveling at how perfectly she fit into his arms. After a few seconds of silence, she spoke, "There's something I have to tell you."

            "I already know." She tensed. "You like me too."

            The politician's daughter smiled despite herself. "Other than that, you egotistic beast," she replied, lightly hitting his arm. "Heero," she said, liking the sound of his name on her lips, "I haven't been completely honest with you like you believe. Do you remember Relena?"

            It was his turn to tense now. What about her? What did she have to do with them together? He thought he would forget about her now that he chose Reynald. "What about Relena?"

            "Please don't be mad, but the thing is I'm—" She paused. What was that?

            Duo threw the empty can into the trash bag they brought. He and the others were watching the romance unfold between Reynald and Heero. They all decided it was high time for the two to hook up. He frowned. He knew that sound…

            She stood up form where she was cozily snuggling with Heero underneath the tree and walked near the pool, squinting at the far left where the garden was.

            The bag of potato chips fell of his hands when he heard another shout of laughter from the other side of the hedges. He heard rumors that the principal was due to arrive from her vacation in Paris anytime that week but he wasn't expecting her to be making her rounds in the middle of the night at the school garden.

            Wufei stared at the rustling bushes with growing disgust. What was the principal thinking? A tryst at the garden in the dead of night?

            Relena frowned. That laugh sounded very familiar… From behind her, the bushes rustled, making Heero jump away and into Relena's direction. "I think it's Principal Noin," Heero whispered from where he stood, three feet away form her.

            But why was it coming from both sides? Another movement from the other side of the pool. She could feel her heart hammering inside her chest, could feel sweat covering her body. A cat maybe?

            "LU!" Suddenly someone leaped out of the bushed behind the couple and Relena jumped back from surprise, right into the cool water.

            With an involuntary scream escaping her mouth, Relena felt herself plunging to oblivion before meeting chilly liquid, which swallowed the rest of her scream. Gliding with ease in the water, she resurfaced, her hair clinging to her in a wet tangle and breathing heavily as she swallowed some of the chlorine and hydrogen mixture.

            She gaped in horror as Heero fished the floating hairpiece out of the water and threw her a glare. She then felt herself being pulled out of the pool by strong powerful hands. She tried to avoid Heero's eyes by looking at who helped her out of the water and almost fainted when she saw who had kept her from drowning, as she didn't have the willpower to merely keep herself afloat.

            Standing across her with a look that depicted the word fury in every sense was her older brother who she knew should have been in Switzerland with her parents. "Milli?"

Tbc

Disclaimers: Not mine, no money, don't sue

NOTES: It's nearly over! I'm still not sure how many more parts exactly are on the way but it won't be any more than five. ::sigh:: It took me a year to reach this far. It feels…weird that the fic is near its end. ::sniffsniff:: I'm gonna miss this 1+R baby! I hope you guys like. ^_^


	11. Part 11

===

                Sorry for the long update. I have my reasons, such as, my beloved monitor being fried, then Crash dying on me ::hugs recently-revived compy:: Then classes resumed this June and I'm trying to cope with the usual school crap students have to put up with everyday BUT don't think I am ever going to kill the story off. I won't. Though it may take me forever, I will finish this baby! ^________^ 

Going Undercover 

By Kuroi Tenshi

Part 11

                Why couldn't I just have drowned in the pool?

                "WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?" they exclaimed at the same time. Then stared at each other. "Aren't you supposed to be in Switzerland?" again, they chorused. "Stop that!"

                Relena covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide. She was transported to the past when they used to finish each other's sentences and said things at the same time when they were children just for the hell of it. Right now, it didn't seem like a happy memory. Not when her brother looked as if he was just about to hurl her into the pool and make sure she didn't come up.

                Duo stared at her. "Lena? You're not…Rey?"

                She gave him a weak smile. "I can explain, really." She saw the startled expressions of her friends, and she almost withered at the sight, but nothing cut deeper than Heero's glare. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie…"

                "What are you doing here, young miss?" A woman jumped out from behind the bushes and started for her. "Don't you know this is an academy exclusive for boys?" When she noticed the way Milliardo was looking at the girl, she frowned. "Do you know him, Zechs?"

                Zechs? "Milli! I told you to stop using that hideous name! It's degrading for someone like you to be using a name from anime!" 

                Her brother glared at her. She swallowed hard. Maybe now wasn't the time to tell him it didn't seem proper for the next CEO of their company to be using a name he picked up from an anime series with neat mechas. There's always next time. Right? There was going to be a next time, right? Right?

                "Lu, I'm sorry to have ruined our date, but Lena here…"

                "Lena? You mean your younger sister you kept telling me about?" The woman turned to her and studied her. "Well, yes, I suppose there are resemblances, but I thought Relena was a delightful young woman."

                "I thought so too," the young man with platinum-blond hair replied.

                She glared at him, fists clenching. "I'm still here, you know!" Who was this woman anyway? Another one of her brother's girl he picked up somewhere to have a short fling with? Then she spied Heero's form behind her brother, hands clasped behind his back, regarding her with a scathing look that was nearly her undoing. How could she explain to him now?

                "Ah, yes, here you are," the shorthaired woman replied. "Would you mind explaining just why that is so?"

                "Principal Noin," Quatre began, intending to put a stop to what was obviously an embarrassing situation to Reynald, or Relena, so to speak. He, too, wanted to know just why she had been pretending to be a boy the past few weeks and why she was there, but he didn't think now was the time to hear her explanation. She didn't seem like she could barely keep the tears from flowing, not with the way Heero was looking at her. "Maybe we could talk about this in a more appropriate place?"

                Zechs noticed the way Relena was clenching her fists and taking shallow breaths. "The boy's right." He walked toward the lounge chairs and grabbed a towel. He then threw it at her and watched her dry herself for a few more seconds. "Lu, could we continue discussing in your office?"

                When she nodded, he took the towel from her and dried her himself. Noin turned to the five young men with Relena. "We'll talk tomorrow. Clean the place a bit—be sure not to leave your things—and I'll call you first thing in the morning," she ordered. "Zechs, let's go to my office. I'll lead the way."

                He wrapped the towel around her, as well as his arms in an effort to keep her warm. He moved forward, but she wouldn't budge. She was still staring at the boy behind him. "Let's go, Relena. You have a lot of explaining to do."

                She allowed herself to be half-dragged out of the pool, but at the pool's entrance, she paused and looked back. Heero's eye shad been following them with the same coldness she had seen before. Her eyes watered and she blinked them away. "I'm so sorry," she said softly before Zechs pulled her with him.

                "You started staying here since WHEN!" Zechs exclaimed, eyes narrowing.

                Relena sunk deeper in the cushioned seat. She just finished telling them what she had been doing the past six weeks. She noticed the woman fanning herself with the folder she picked up from the stack of paperwork on her desk.

                Principal Noin. Principal Lucrezia Noin. No wonder her name had sounded familiar before. She was Milli's long-time girlfriend. Why did the world have to be so small?

                "I'm sorry," she said lowly, keeping her eyes trained on the dark blue carpet. "I didn't want to cause anyone any trouble. Please don't get angry…"

                "You didn't want to cause anyone any trouble?" He snorted. "Then why the hell did you even agree to this stupid charade? For heaven's sake, Relena! Use your head! Something could've happened to you!"

                Noin stiffened. "Now, Zechs, I know you're concerned for your sister, but I can assure you our boys here aren't the kind you're thinking. She was in safe hands all the time!"

                "How sure are you, Lu?"

                "Are implying my boys can't be trusted?"

                "I'm simply asking you how sure you are with your assertions, Noin," Zechs replied tersely.

                Relena looked back and forth from her brother to the young principal who was obviously trying, yet failing, to control her temper. No! She didn't want them to fight because of her. "Please," she intervened. "I know it was foolish, what I did. But let's not allow our tempers get the better of us. It would result to nothing but dispute no one wants to begin with."

                "Taking lessons from Daddy, Lena?" Milli finally said after a second or so of tensed silence. He took a deep breath and nodded. "But you're right, of course. Lu, I'm sorry. It's just that…I was worried about my sister and I wasn't really thinking clearly. I'm sorry."

                The principal nodded. "I'm afraid I'm guilty of not thinking clearly as well.  I understand completely. But you have to realize that as long as Relena's real gender was a secret, there wasn't a reason to be alarmed. Right, Relena?"

                "Yes, Miss Noin's right," she replied. Aside from the hazard from James Reyes and his adoring fan club, no harm was done. She gave them both a small, tentative smile. "I really am sorry for what I did. It was stupid, foolish. But I don't regret it. It taught me some things I never would've learned had I remained sheltered all my life," she said, directing the last bit to her brother. "The only thing I regret is that I had to lie to the people I called my friends. And I'm sorry for the trouble." She paused and gave them a lopsided grin. "For what it's worth, I was hoping to get away with it with none the wiser."

                Noin chuckled. "I know what you mean. I did crazy things in my youth, but of course—none as crazy as this. I'm just glad nothing bad came out of it."

                "At least you're safe," he added with a smile. "But you'll have to keep this from Mom and Dad, all right? They'd tan my hide if they find out I haven't been keeping a close eye on you."

                "Hey!" she frowned. "That reminds me. What're you doing here anyway? I really thought you were with them. They didn't say anything about you remaining in the area this vacation."

                He blushed. "Actually, I just left a message for Dad in his office four weeks ago telling them I won't be joining them like I usually do. That's why I didn't know you weren't with them."

                Relena smiled. "I guess I was lucky to have almost pulled it off. I wasn't exactly counting on you to show up with the principal in the garden."

                "What were you doing with them this late anyway?" Noin couldn't help asking.

                Her cheeks burned. "I was going to confess the whole things and say goodbye," she admitted in a small voice. "But I got busted before I got the chance to tell Heero—my _friend—_that I'm actually a girl."

                Noin chuckled at the way the younger woman blushed, even more so at the mention of Mr. Yuy. "I see. Well, I trust this will be our little secret?" She looked at the other occupants of the room. "I'll explain to the boys tomorrow, but I'd rather nothing about this leaves the room. This is a prestigious academy, I hope you understand."

                Relena nodded. "Of course." It's not like she wanted it to be known to the world she paraded as a boy at SKA anyway. Some things were better kept under lock and key.

                "Lu, sorry to break our date early tonight but I think it'd be better if I escort Relena back to her own dorm tonight. But I'll call you, okay?"

                The shorthaired woman grinned wickedly. "If you can remember to do so before I fall asleep, then why not."

                Relena watched them quietly. She knew then and there she liked Miss Noin. She was exactly what her brother needed. She was smart and pretty, and she seemed like fun. She couldn't help but notice the sparkle in her brother's eyes. And she made Milli happy, that itself was enough.

                "I already packed my things since I was leaving this Saturday," she volunteered when Milli turned to her. "But I should probably stop by a bathroom to fix myself first, in case we run into someone. Then I can get my things."

                "The door to your left is the one, Relena," Noin smiled. "We'll wait for you while you freshen up."

                The teenager nodded. "Thanks." She hastily made her way to the bathroom, thankful for the few minutes alone. Although she was still alive and unscathed from Milli, she was still far from safe. Heero probably hated her.

                Washing her face with cold water and putting on the wig Heero had fished out of the water earlier, she gazed at her reflection. The face that stared back was quite androgynous. Though her hair was short once more, her face looked feminine, more so than usual when she was pretending to be Reynald. Her chest now flat again, only with the slightest hint of lump clung to her body in wet abandon. Tendrils of honey-blonde hair hung at the side, framing her fame delicately. The hint of rose that graced her cheeks only hours ago was gone, no trace to be found to even suggest its presence before. Her eyes, with a subtle hint of lavender under, stared back at her wearily.

                The reflection presented a girl-boy looking tired.

                Relena marveled at the rapid transformation a human was capable of undergoing in a manner of minutes. She wasn't feeling carefree, like she did during the long walks with Heero, or happy, as she did when she and her friends sat idly on the grass to pass time.

                The concocted tales she told them to explain her very presence came rushing back with vengeance. She could hear the words spoken about her honesty in her head. Heero telling her she was unlike the other girls he met before.

                She let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the tiled wall. Why did her lies have to blow up in her face? It wasn't like she wanted to lie to them. She was left with no choice. But still…

                "You haven't drowned yourself in the toilet, have you?" Milli knocked from the other side of the door.

                "That idea has its definite appeal," she muttered, unlocking the door and stepping out. She gave her brother a small smile. "Let's get my things then."

                "I'll get the car; Lu will go with you."

                Relena shrugged. The walk to her room was fairly uneventful for the most part. She didn't really feel like talking, and the older woman didn't seem to feel inclined for idle chatter. She could hear the hushed shuffle of footsteps as they crossed the carpeted lobby to the elevator.

                "So," Lucrezia began, "was it fun?"

                The door opened and they stepped out. She nodded. "I guess so. Though it was nerve-wracking at first. But it was fun."

                "I noticed you were with Mr. Yuy's friends."

                Why did she have the feeling her brother's girlfriend knew about her and what used to be her kind of relationship with Heero? Was it that obvious or was it mere coincidence? The girl decided on the latter. They really weren't doing anything relatively close to what would resemble being lovey-dovey and it was dark anyway. How could she know?

                "You guys were pretty close by the bushes," Noin remarked casually.

                Is it too late to go back to the elevator and hope for the cables to snap with me inside? Nothing was more embarrassing than having your brother's girlfriend interrogate you about a boy enrolled at the academy where she was the principal.

                "It wasn't what it looked like! It was pretty dark and there was too much noise from the pool so we had to be a bit close to hear each other and the moon was behind the clouds and Duo's been splashing water all around, and the protests and shouts were almost deafening. Then he said something and with the noise I had to move closer and it was dark. And we were discussing…stuff," she finished lamely.

                The shorthaired woman smiled at her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she fumbled with the key. "It's okay, you know. You're not a little girl anymore."

                "Uh, yeah. Thanks." Why is the keyhole much smaller than few hours ago when I locked it? Relena wondered, trying to insert the key where it should be.

                "I think Dou would like to talk to you before you leave. Why don't I get him while you get your stuff?"

                She stopped shoving the key and abusing the knob and stared at her. Maybe it was the stress combined with the poor lighting at the hallway (she'd have to talk to Noin about the school budget with regards to that), but she could almost see wings from behind the older woman's back and there was a ring of light crowning her head. Oh my God, this is bad. I'm hallucinating.

                The key finally slid into its hole with ease as Lucrezia gave her one last smile and turned her heels to go back to the elevator they vacated just minutes ago to fetch her friend for her.

                "No wonder you always blushed whenever I mentioned accompanying me to the locker room," Duo remarked, eyes wide, mind still processing what his friend told him.

                "I never meant any harm," she said in a little voice. "You don't know how much I hated lying to you guys. You accepted me when I first got here and then…with everyone telling me how honest I've been…"

                "Don't worry, it's cool; _we're_ cool. The others are a bit shocked, but it'll wear off after a good night's sleep. You _are_ our friend, no matter what your gender is."

                Relena threw her arms around him, her immense gratitude expressed in that familiar gesture. "Thank you so _much_! I don't know what I'd do without you. I'll make it up to you guys, promise."

                When she pulled away, Duo grinned. "Well…you can start showing your gratitude by whispering good things 'bout me in Hilde's ears. You can start with my big heart."

                "No need for that!" she chuckled. "I'm telling you, Hilde's already half-in love with a certain braided youth. But of course, I'm sure the same holds true for you, eh?" Then her eyes clouded.

                Duo patted her hand, which lay on her lap, clutching the other for dear life. "Don't worry. He'll come around."

                "He hates me," she whispered dejectedly.

                "He's confused, that's all. It's not easy dealing with the surprise of finding the boy you like is actually a girl—a girl he already met before, in addition to that. But he'll wise up. I'll make sure of it," he said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.

                Relena opened her mouth to argue, but no sound came out. She could feel her eyes burning and she blinked several times, willing the tears away. Someone knocked on her door, probably Lucrezia, to tell her they were ready to leave.

                She stood up from the couch and swallowed hard. "I better go or Milli will come charging in here, demanding what's taking me so long," she said, giving him a weak smile. She grabbed the suitcases from the floor and refused Duo's offer of help with a shake of her head.

                Duo opened the door for her and she paused by the door, dropping the bags by her side. She gave him a brief hug then let go. The bags felt like they were filled with lead, but she didn't say anything, nor did she ask for assistance. It was nothing compared to the difficulty knowing Heero had chosen Reynald rather than Relena.

~*~*~*~

                "Oh, God," Hilde muttered in a small voice few seconds after opening the door of the room she shared with her best friend and spying said friend a day early from SKA with her brother towering in front of her. "Should I run for cover?"

                Maybe it was her paranoia on over-drive. It was three forty-five; the sun was yet to rise. She must be dreaming. Yet here in the flesh was the object of her most torturous nightmare: Milli looking like there was only one thing on his mind, _murder_. It was obvious she was ready to expire of heart failure.

                "You should. And you deserve the cardiac arrest, Hilde," Milliardo Darlain replied with a tone of voice that made Hilde's blood run cold. "But my darling sister here pleaded on your behalf, with the rest of the girls,' so no, you don't have to. However, it would be highly appreciated if you could step aside and let us in. I've lost precious hours reserved for sleeping and I'm telling you, I get cranky when I don't get enough sleep."

                The girl swallowed hard and immediately stepped aside, grabbing the suitcase from Relena in the process and trying her best to blend with the electric blue wall, which was an idea doomed to be a failure even before it was conceived.

                "Relena, since I'm sure you won't be sneaking out after this—and you'd better not if you know what's good for you—I will retire to the inn nearby. We'll _all_," he said, directing the last bit to Hilde, "talk in the morning when I've had my sleep and coffee. Until then _behave_."

                "I thought we were done talking in Miss Noin's office," Relena smiled sweetly, trying for an ill-fated escape.

                "I'll see you all tomorrow. Goodnight." He closed the door behind him.

                Hilde stared at the shut portal her friend's brother just exited to. "Goodnight? How could he possibly think that was remotely possible with the way you guys came in here! I'll be traumatized for life!"

                Relena shook her head. "Don't exaggerate. I told you he wouldn't inflict bodily damage on you when he finds out. You know he won't hurt us."

                Hilde snorted. "Easy for you to say! You're the only girl and the youngest. What about us mere companions of the Beloved Child? He'll skin me alive then cook me in oil. Then he'll find out I was the one who suggested we play poker in the first place. Then he'd feed what's left of me to the hungry dogs. How can I not worry?"

                She chuckled at her friend's distress. Milli really wouldn't do any of those. He'd probably just lecture them for a few hours or so then leave, no doubt off to visit his girlfriend at the other academy. Her shoulders sagged at the reminder of SKA. Heero.

                "What's wrong? If you're getting worried, I _really_ would need a good hiding place!"

~*~*~*~

                The Apocalypse did not come upon them as Hilde had expected. Rather than the five-hour lecture everyone was expecting, Milli surprised them by simply reminding them that they were no longer toddlers to get themselves into every imaginable mischief without second thought and a short speech on responsibility, which lasted for an hour then kissed Relena on the forehead before he took off. Relena was convinced the principal was doing wonders for her brother's disposition.

                She smiled at some of the freshmen she passed by on her way to the Student Council's office. Summer vacation was up and classes had resumed two weeks ago. She constantly thought of Heero and her friends at SKA, but she kept herself relatively busy to keep herself from devoting all her time thinking about Heero and his obvious disdain with her deceit.

                She noticed she was the last to arrive. Dorothy, the class treasurer, acknowledged her with a nod of her head when she sat next to Crissy, who was vice-president. Anne, the council's president, started the meeting.

                Unruly mop of dark brown hair. She didn't realize until then Jo's hair was so much like Heero's. Why, had she been facing the girl's back, she would've no hesitations to proclaim the girl to be Heero Yuy!

                The girl was brought back to the times they would walk side by side in companionable silence, taking in the beauty of nature's untamed beauty in each other's company. She could almost feel the soft brush of Heero's skin against hers. Hear the low whisper of her name on his lips…

                "Relena…"

                "Yes," she replied softly, propping her chin with her left hand and leaning closer to the sound of his voice. "Yes…"

                "Great! Good luck!"

                Relena blinked. "Eh?" She flushed, realizing every pair of eyes in the room was on her. Good going, Lena. What a splendid way to prove to everyone what an idiot you are, daydreaming in the middle of a meeting. You're definitely in for the role of the village idiot now. Congratulations.

                Dorothy smirked across the table, obviously having caught on Relena's unscheduled trip to her happy place. "Anne was just expressing her support. It was very nice of you to have agreed planning the coming dance, Lena."

                "The dance…" she mumbled absently. They were having a dance? She was going to plan it? "Sure. We usually have a dance to welcome students back, don't we?"

                "Isn't it exciting?" Cerrynise exclaimed. "A DANCE!"

                Relena smiled and nodded. Sure, a dance. They have the welcome-back dance annually. Why was this any different? Cerrynise didn't seem to care that much last year. She mentally shrugged. It would be easy planning the dance. She did it before already. Piece of cake.

                "This is the first time of this sort—and I heard it wouldn't be the last either! This will be the first. This _has_ to be monumental, Relena!" Anne grinned, catching up with the excitement. "This dance has to be the best yet!"

                She nodded, smiling still. "Count on me." She still couldn't see what the big deal was, but as what has been established since she started attending CHA, this dance was hers.

                Dorothy could see Relena was still clueless with regards to why everyone seemed to be making a big deal out of the dance she was to plan so she decided to clue her in. That, and she wanted to see her friend's face, which proved to be priceless. "Planning the dance will be a breeze, eh?"

                She nodded, her honey-blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. "Piece of cake."

                "This will be the first dance SKA will have with CHA," Dorothy casually dropped, watching Relena stiffen then pale considerably. Ah. How she loved dropping the bomb. Call it perversity, but it was fun. Nothing would ever top Relena's face right now.

                Except maybe at the day of the dance itself when Heero shows up.

                "Piece of cake, eh, Lena?" Dorothy couldn't resist.

                Yeah. But why do the gods have to catapult the cake towards me?

Tbc

====

Disclaimers: Sue me and I'll send my bloodhounds after you. I'm not kidding—screw the fact said hounds are imaginary—I really will! If you think GW belongs to me, then you prolly deserve to have the dogs after you. Good luck.

Notes: I hope this part turned out okay. Not much yelling and the tone's not angry, as what you'd expect, but I want to keep it light-hearted so…there. C&C much appreciated. Thanks so much to those who reviewed. Love y'all!

Btw, the update for June is done. I won't feel "obligated" to post another one until July (remember the one-post-per-month goal?). But if a new one comes out, then all the better; I'll post it. However, I ask for your compassion (LOL) to understand that I've got professors (who are currently on top of my hit list) who gave assignments on the first day of classes. Give me some time to track them then kill them so I can do my good deed of riding the world of such pesky creatures.

PS: This has nothing to do with the fic, but is there a Remy(Gambit)/Rogue fan out there reading this? I just LOVE those two! ::grin:: Okay, I'll shut up now. ^_^


	12. Part 12

Going Undercover 

By Kuroi Tenshi

Part 12

            The sun's ray filtered into the small conference room the committee had reserved for the afternoon. The people around the table nodded their approval and the girl tasked to take notes scribbled furiously on her notebook. They had about another week and a half before the big day. The meeting that afternoon had gone smoothly, much to Relena's relief.

            The past three meetings hadn't gone as so. Girls and boys, though more than ecstatic to have the first annual welcome back dance coed, couldn't agree much on anything. The boys argued the girls' ideas were too girly and the females declared said counterparts lacking taste. The conference room was an open battlefield between the sexes with razor-sharp tongue as their weapon of choice.

            She couldn't be any more relieved when they finally agreed on a theme. Though a bit clichéd, they agreed to have a masked ball. It was a bit extravagant for a simple back to school dance, but both parties wanted it to be the best. They wanted the first coed dance to be something no one would forget in the next ten, perhaps twenty, years. Though differing in tastes and opinion (proven by the insults hurled days before), it held true for both that dressing up in costumes and playing a part was something everyone enjoyed.

            "The perfect venue for the ball would be on SKA's garden. I'm sure your academy has a wonderful garden, but you see, _our_ garden was designed like a palace's," Paolo declared. "Your manicured lawns may be cute for a girl's academy, but the trees, shrubbery and overall garden of our school is to boasted of."

            Relena, who was yet to get used to seeing the normally quiet and reserved Melissa half-stand up from where she was seated and hurl insults, was startled at the sudden movement next to her. She placed a hand on the girl's arms and gently pulled her back to her seat. Melissa grumbled, but sat down, but not before throwing Paolo a death glare.

            Aaaand we're back for Round Four of Committee Death Match! Ladies and gentlemen, who do you think will come out victorious this time? Will the bared fangs and mighty paws be any match against the sharp tongues and lethal claws this time? Stay tuned and keep your eyes open while Round Four begins!

            "Let's not let our tempers get the better of us," Relena said with a small smile, hoping to soothe the fiery tempers flaring around her. "We're a bit rushed, don't you think? We barely have enough time to make preparations. The last thing we need is to give in to the desire of throttling the other. Let's all wait until the ball for that when we're in our costumes, therefore lessening the risk of being found out."

            The other fifteen with her chuckled at her attempt to jest. She was right. The ball was fast approaching.

            They would get their chance then.

            "But I'm right, aren't I? SKA's garden would make a better venue for the ball."

            By now, Relena was convinced that the only reason Paolo was placed on earth at the same time she was living, was because he was to serve as her source of perpetual ire. There was only a certain amount of bad air a person could take. A single second with Paolo de Jules was enough to last anyone a lifetime.

            Keeping her open expression and inwardly struggling to overcome the urge to throw him out of the room, she turned to him. "I'm sure the gardens of SKA are something to be proud of," she started, I should know. I spent most of my free time there myself, she thought, "but CHA's garden can also be a magical place to hold the ball."

            "Of course you'll say that, you're the head of the committee representing CHA, aren't you?" Paolo sneered.

            Relena scowled mentally, but on the outside she didn't even do so much as twitch any muscle. Where did Milliardo keep his shotgun again, I wonder. "It's not that, Paolo, but—"

            "Let's have the ball on SKA's garden and be done with it," Dorothy interrupted. "It's obvious these..._boys_…have no intention of being courteous enough that they'd have _women_ traveling all the way to their domain. It's simply too much to expect anything positive form them. Let them have their way and be over it."

            The members of the affronted gender frowned. Relena had to hide her smile. Though the guys knew Dorothy was obviously baiting them, their male ego wouldn't let her have her way.

            "I suppose your small ground with a few trees here and there will do," Paolo finally said, though with much disdain. "What do you think, Quatre?"

            The blond, who was Relena's counterpart on the boy's side, nodded. He had remained quiet for most of the time, stepping in only when things got out of hand. He was confident Relena could handle being the lead. "CHA's gardens are wonderful, I've had the pleasure of seeing that for myself. I'm sure it would serve our purpose well."

            Relena gave him a smile. She knew she could count on Quatre. Dorothy spoke up. "Now that we've got that over with, let's have snacks and all be on our way. I'm sure most of you are _dying_ to crawl back to your majestic garden," she said with a smile, looking directly at Paolo.

            The receiver stiffened before nodding. "Yes, snacks should be great then we'd all be on our way." The members stood up and moved toward the door, which led to a smaller room with tables and snacks waiting for them.

            Relena fell into step next to the blond committee head. She took a deep breath and smiled. "Hey," she said. "We haven't had the chance to talk much since the meetings began. What's up?"

            "Nothing much, piles of schoolwork and stuff. You?"

            She played with the end of the thin plait on the side of her head. "Squashed beneath schoolwork, as expected. How's Trowa? The others?" She suddenly found her light brown leather shoes interesting. Oh, she never noticed there was a dash of dirt that collected across her right shoe. Must've been from the time she almost tripped by the botanical garden two days ago. Interesting.

            Quatre glanced at her. He knew whom she meant with "the others". "Trowa's fine. We're working on our musical piece for the competition next month. Duo's still swimming like a fish and Wufei's struggling with the desire to blow up the Chem Lab—got an A- on Chem again."

            "Oh," she replied lifelessly. "He really should take up a hobby." She mentally took a deep breath and puffed her chest. You can do this, Rel… "How's—"

            "Surly as ever," Quatre answered even before she finished. "Duo's been on his case since…well, since that night."

            Relena decided to have mercy on the blond next to her. He looked absolutely uncomfortable. She deserved this. She had no business lying to Heero then expecting him to be okay with it. This was Heero, for crying out loud! She'd have to approach him on her knees before he even considers sharing the same oxygen with her.

            Mental note: scout for lost kneepads.

            "I can't wait for the ball," she replied instead, rather than ask him more for details, which had been her intention. "We still have a long way to go, but I'm confident that if we can just resist the urge for murder, we can pull it off."

            "Paolo's a real pain, but you can count on him," Quatre smiled. He grabbed a can of soda and handed it to her before grabbing another for himself. "So, tell me, Lena, what're you going as for the ball?"

            She smiled and shrugged. "It's a well-guarded secret. What about you?"

            He blushed and looked away. "Trowa said he wants to go as an animal trainer. I'm going as a lion." His cheeks were flaming now, as well as his face. "Don't tell anyone. It's supposed to be a surprise."

            She raised an eyebrow. Trowa as the trainer who tamed the lion? She couldn't help the grin from her face and pinched his cheeks. "Aww, you guys are so sweet," she gushed. They sat on the table facing the windows already occupied by Dorothy and several other girls.

            "Let me guess the topic of your conversation," Dorothy commented dryly. "Lover Boy Barton and Icicle Prince Yuy."

            Relena's face fell with the mention of Heero. Just when the gnawing jealousy was almost squished! Why did Dorothy have to bring him up? "Just Lover Boy Barton," she replied with a sigh. She sipped her soda quietly, paying little attention to the conversations around her.

            Quatre patted her shoulder. "Don't worry. Duo's trying to talk some sense into him. He still hasn't recovered from the shock, but I'm sure he'll come around. It's just a taking a bit long since it's Heero we're talking about."

            She gave him a weak smile. "You're right. I still have another ten years ahead of me until I can start expecting him to consider listening to my explanation."

            Dorothy waved her hand in the air dismissively. "Change topic, please. I beg of you! I've been hearing nothing but Heero since she got back. If this doesn't stop soon, I'll be forced to march to SKA and demand the man to marry Rel just so she can stop!"

            Relena's cheeks flamed. Had she that been difficult to live with? She admit she's been sulking and talking about Heero and his reaction to her a lot, but was it that bad?

            Quatre squeezed the hand on the table and gave her a smile that was supposed to be encouraging. "Don't worry, things will work out soon enough."

            She nodded and forced herself to return the smile. He was right. Heero couldn't hate her forever, could he? She has to keep her head high and continue hoping he'd absolve her of her sins soon. She didn't know how much longer she could endure the pain of being hated by the one you have deep feelings for, but she would keep hoping it would be soon.

            Around her, Dorothy had gotten the people at the table with her discussing the preparations for the ball. They still had to hire a band and do decorations. "I think more flowers are in order."

            "We can sent up the buffet table at one side, the tables at the sides and the band here," Steve said, scribbling on the paper napkin, indicating where things ought to be, "and the center will serve as the dance floor."

            "Gazebos are already scattered around so people can go there if they want a bit of privacy," Cherise added, smiling excitedly. "Aw, this is going to be so beautiful!"

            "It's going to be magical," Relena said softly, smiling at the way both genders were able to work on the plan without any negative exchange. She happened to glance up form the sketch Steve had drawn and noticed Paolo looking at her. When he saw he had been caught, he smiled and turned to his friends.

            She frowned. Why was he looking at her? It wasn't the first time she caught him staring. God, don't tell me he's interested. Please! As if James wasn't bad enough, now she has to deal with another bag of hot air?

            "We should probably get going," Quatre said. "It's already five and I'm sure there are a lot of us with tons of homework we should get a head start on, just as I'm sure the girls have as well."

            Dorothy nodded and stood up. "You're right. I'll accompany our dear leader escort you guys out," she volunteered. "Rel?"

            Relena nodded, though a bit distractedly. "Yeah. The van's been waiting for half an hour now." As the male students filed out of the room with Dorothy and Quatre leading the way, Paolo fell into step next to her. She inwardly sighed and prayed for patience. "Yes, Mister de Jules?"

            "No need to be all formal, Relena," Paolo grinned, showing perfect teeth. "Call me Paolo."

            I'd rather not, thank you very much. "Well, _Mr. de Jules_, what can I do for you?"

            "You're just like him."

            She blinked. Huh? What's this guy on?

            "I've been studying you for quite a while now, Relena," he replied, still with that infuriating lazy smile of his.

            What? Am I specimen to be put under such scrutiny then? I'm feeling a very strong desire to locate Milli's shotgun. "And why exactly have you been doing that, if I may be so bold to ask?"

            "Does your father have another son other than the one known as Milliardo, Relena?"

            That's it! Forget the shotgun! It's too humane for this asshole! I'll castrate him with a rusted spoon and throw his genitals to the hungry dogs that prowl the school with the security. "I beg your pardon?"

            "You seem to resemble _very_ closely someone I've had the pleasure of seeing just weeks before. Even the way you talk is similar, not to mention the same blonde hair and beautiful violet eyes."

            Relena only stared at him in horror. None of the other boys recognized her! Why did it have to be Paolo, of all people?

            "Do you know anyone by the name of Reynald Dorian?" he asked. "You see, even the initials are the same. The names sounds almost the same too, with Reynald a syllable short."

            She shook her head and sighed almost impatiently. "Is that all, sir? I'll have to say I'm a bit irked that you'd suggest something as my father having another child. But have you ever heard of the word coincidence? I'm not the only one with blonde hair and violet eyes, de Jules. And I don't claim to be the only one either. So it follows that there's a very big possibility that this Reynald you're talking about isn't my brother."

            "Or it could be you. What do you think of that, Lena?"

            "I think you've had a little too much sugar, Mr. de Jules," she replied frostily. She hastened her steps and walked ahead of him, only to pause for a second or two. "I believe I've heard about this Reynald from Quatre before. I wasn't aware you knew him as well."

            "Rey doesn't know me—which was such a lost to him as he left without having the pleasure of meeting me—but I know enough about him."

            "And what would those be?" she asked with an air of nonchalance, but she was dying to know. The guy was creepy. Who knows what perversity he associated with her male counterpart?

            "I know that he's beautiful. And that he's gay."

            Was I that girly? Relena wondered briefly. "I see," she replied. "However I fail to realize how this is related to me. So I look like him a bit. But he's a guy and I'm a girl. Do you follow what I'm saying?"

            Paolo nodded. "Of course." They reached the door and she could see the others already climbing the school van designated to drop and fetch SKA's students. "It's just that you remind me so much of my little darling," the Frenchman said, brushing stray bangs out of Relena's eyes.

            She stiffened. "_Goodbye_, Mr. de Jules."

            "For today, Relena, goodbye _for today_." With that, he walked to the waiting van and climbed in after Quatre. Dorothy stepped back as the vehicle started to back up and waved as it pulled off the driveway.

            The blonde young woman with braids stared at the moving car, wishing it would explode with only Paolo inside. Her friend glanced at her and sighed. "Should I call Milliardo and have him do the deed for you?"

            She sighed and shook her head. "No, it's okay. I just didn't realize Paolo was bi. And he seems to have liked Rey back in SKA. And guess what? He's found a substitute now that Rey's gone."

            "Well, at least commend him for going for the original," Dorothy smirked. They walked back inside, nodding and greeting the people they come across with.

            "Dorothy, what do you think should I do at the ball?" she asked after a moment of silence. "I mean, what will I say to him when I see him? Should I wave? Should I hide?"

            The girl with forked eyebrows didn't have to wonder who "he" was. "Actually, you may not have to do anything," her friend replied lowly. "Someone told me that Heero might not even attend the ball."

            Relena stopped on her tracks. "What? Why?" Her shoulders sagged. "It's because of me, isn't it? No, Dorothy, don't answer that. Please."

            The one directed to shrugged. "I wasn't going to. Really." When she met Relena's unconvinced eyes, she sighed. "You wound me, Relena. You should know I'm not the type."

            "I know you well enough," was the weak response. An audible sigh. "Does he hate me that much?"

            "Do you really want to find out?"

            Relena turned to Dorothy. "What do you mean?" She loved Dorothy, as she was a dear friend, but sometimes, she could be a bit scary. "What do you have up your sleeve this time?"

            She shrugged. "I just thought I'd let you have a peek into Heero's private world, now that you're no longer in the same school with him. You might even know whether or not hurling yourself down the tower is in order or not."

            Relena hesitated. Dorothy's parents were part of an army's intelligence. She knew her sources and methods were reliable. But she wasn't sure she wanted to invade Heero's privacy. She's already done too much damage as is. And what about the things she might find out?

            "How?"

            "My room after dinner. And please, for both our sake, don't bring Hilde with you. I like her and all, but Hilde can be too much at times. This is one of them. She'll want to abuse my device too much if she finds out."

            "What do you mean?"

            "I'll explain later. Right now, I have to set everything up. And do my math homework," she made a face. "See you at dinner. And after."

            Relena watched Dorothy walk away, the girl's long light yellow hair cascading behind her. She closed her eyes briefly and prayed for strength. She was willing to go with whatever evil plan Dorothy hatched to be privy to Heero's thoughts. She just wished she would come out alive after this.

            Oh, Heero. The things I do for you.

Tbc

===

            Not exactly long, is it? _ I know it can be a bit anti-climatic after the long wait but…bear with me, neh? My brain's still recovering from too much stress and my writing's a bit rusty. But I promise to do better next part.

Disclaimers: GW still doesn't belong to me. Sue at your own risk. I fancy myself an arsonist now that I'm close to losing it with my professor. It's your house.


	13. Part 13

Going Undercover 

By Kuroi Tenshi

Part 13

                The cool evening breeze caressed his face and he closed his eyes briefly, recalling the times spent at his sanctuary with the wind against his face feeling just like this. With the images that resurfaced, it was inevitable that _she_ was in some, many in fact, of them.

                Relena laughing at something Heero said, or at Heero himself. The young woman glaring at him from the cliff's edge as he refused to communicate with her, as she had invited. Relena with her long sooty lashes casting shadows on fair skin as her eyes closed during and after he kissed her.

                Why couldn't he get her off his mind?

                He tried. By god, he did! But whenever he was starting to feel confident he was on the road to completely eliminating her from his system, fleeting images of her would slip by, preventing him from reaching his goal: a Relena-free life.

                He knew he had every reason to justify the need to cause bodily harm (desperately ignoring the fact she was a girl, therefore he shouldn't). She made a fool out of him!

                It certainly explained the many similarities between them; the answer to why they seemed inseparable in his mind was revealed: because Reynald and Relena _were_ inseparable. They were one and the same!

                His face warmed with embarrassment. She must've been laughing at him all those times they were together. And to think about the agonies he went through trying to choose between.

                Not to mention the distress caused by determining his sexual orientation.

                She must've had one hell of a kick playing him a fool. And to think he thought she was different from the other people he met.

                He believed every word—no, _lie_—she said. He even worried about him and his so-called trauma with pools. He saved him from James—the pompous jerk!—and offered him comfort when her brain was muddled with alcohol. And what thank you did he receive?

                But she offered the comfort nobody else could give, didn't she? a nagging voice in his head hissed.

                He didn't need that comfort, Heero mentally retorted. He was doing fine until her. He has his sanctuary and that was all that he needed. Though said sanctuary offered no peace right now since it only reminded him of the times spent with Relena. But that was beside the point. He doesn't need her, now or later, nor did he need her before.

                He just needed to erase the feeling of warmth brought by the memory of her hand in his weeks ago. And make his heart return to its normal beating rate whenever he recalled the times of having his lips on hers.

                The door of the room suddenly banged open and his roommate walked in. Heero scowled as he walked away from the open window and sat on his bed. If Duo started on him again, he was throwing the braided boy outside the window. He had been on his case ever since the night Relena left, telling him to give the girl a chance to explain.

                Give her a chance to tell them more lies? Hell no!

                "Why didn't you come down for dinner?"

                "Not hungry" was the dry reply. Few seconds of silence with Heero trailing after his friend with his eyes. Duo was humming something and Heero noticed there was a bit more spring on his steps than usual.

                "You high or something?"

                The swimmer flashed his a "V" sign and shrugged. "Just giddy with love, Heero." He went to his study desk and produced something from his pocket. He gingerly set the silver frame and stared at the picture with big violet eyes. "Aw, Hilde."

                Heero squinted, but couldn't see with Duo's back covering his view of the desk. "What do you have there?"

                "Oh, this?" Duo asked. "Just a little gift Quatre handed me at dinner. Dorothy was nice enough to give me a picture of my beloved Hilde."

                Dinner was finally over. Relena wasn't really hungry, and she doubted she could keep anything down with the way the bullfrogs were making a racket in her stomach. Thankfully she managed to swallow a few forkfuls to satisfy Hilde, who Milliardo assigned as his sister's CHISEH (Chief Supervisor of Eating Habits).

                She grabbed her keys from the desk and rapped on the closed bathroom door. "Hilde? Dorothy agreed to help me with my math assignment. Don't wait up. I know it'll take me forever to get it right."

                "Dorothy? I'd rather ask Cathy if I were you. But yeah, go on. I'll keep Cathy company; Dianne, her new roommate's off to her friends' room so she's all alone," Hilde shouted from the other side.

                "Yup, bye," she locked the door behind her. Her trip to the sixth floor was uneventful. Dorothy's room was located on the top floor, which was usually bigger than most rooms. She didn't have a roommate because Dorothy was sure she would only experience the never-ending urge to bonk her roommate with a thick dictionary (which was why the principal recommended it as well, basing from the incident in sixth grade when Dorothy locked her old roommate out of the room). She knocked on the door.

                "It's open," Dorothy lazily drawled on from the other side.

                Relena delicately stepped in. Dorothy's room always amazed her. Her exquisite taste for elegance mixed with her passion for adventure showed in her room. Her parents paid extra to allow her to paint the walls a frosted gold hue and the thick beige carpet was soft beneath her feet. Most of the furniture was gold, or near its color that simply stated cool elegance, just like Dorothy. And there were also several abstract paintings, which Dorothy seemed to be fond of as of late, on her walls.

                She seated herself on the couch and waited for Dorothy to finish whatever she was doing in her Corner. The blonde knew that was where she kept her "military stuff." Nobody was allowed to go near that place unless given explicit permission. To go within ten feet uninvited was DOOM, with all-caps.

                Dorothy motioned for her to get closer, she did. She handed Relena a headset and gestured at the seat next to her.

                When Relena hesitated, Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Well?"

                "Won't you explain it to me first?" she asked. "I'm not exactly a guru with all this intelligence stuff. I'm a civilian," she tried to joke, trying to dissipate the mounting nervousness.

                She sighed. "I gave Quatre something before they left; remember me walking with him to the van? I told him to give it to Duo after dinner. And if all proceeds to plan, they're just about finishing dinner now—" she paused, distracted by something she heard from her own set of headphone. "The bug's been delivered," she said.

                "Bug?"

                "Yes, bug, as in little device used for eavesdropping." When Relena still hesitated, Dorothy shook her head. "Alright, let's forget about it. I'll turn the transmitter off." She made a move to flick on the switch on a strange-looking box with numerous wires and cords at the table, but Relena grabbed her hand.

                "No!" When Dorothy stared at her she blushed. "I…I wanna listen." Her friend tapped the device on her head and Relena put the headphones on. Immediately she was treated to Duo's loud laughter.

                "See you tomorrow, Cat!" Duo said, still chuckling. He was humming to himself, apparently on his way somewhere. Keys jingling, then a door opening. "Why didn't you come down for dinner?"

                "Not hungry." Relena's heart leapt at the sound of that voice. Heero! She adjusted the headphones and strained to hear well.

                Heero stared at his friend. It was bad enough that Duo was too cheerful and loud for his own good, but Duo "in love" was worse. Duo was even more cheerful and louder than usual, not to mention he was cheesy to the extreme. "Forget I asked."

                "Hey, Quatre's wondering if you're planning to come to the ball. It's on Friday next week," Duo grinned.

                "They finally agreed on something?" Heero asked, his voice with a tinge of amusement. The stories Quatre narrated about the previous meetings had always been a source of entertainment. He could just imagine Relena's frustration dealing with Paolo de Jules.

                Relena. Ugh. Must not think of her…

                "They agreed to have a masked ball. You can come as whatever you like," Duo replied, polishing the frame with his handkerchief.

                "A masked ball? That's just like her. I'll bet you anything it was her idea. Dressing up and pretending is Relena's forte, if you remember."

                Duo frowned, pausing from his task. "You're still angry about that. I explained the gist of what happened, didn't I? She didn't want to lie. She was left with no choice."

                "Why are you taking her side? She lied to you too."

                "Relena, Reynald—it doesn't matter what name she uses or what gender she poses. She's still my friend. I didn't befriend her before because I thought she was a guy. Nor did you like her because she was one. It's the person you like, not the gender or the name. Her being a girl makes no difference. She's still the same person."

                "The same, lying, conniving person, yes," Heero shook his head. "Did she tell you about the fun she had introducing herself as Relena the Girl to me at the cliff? She must've been laughing about that. I was stupid not to have realized the truth after meeting the real Relena and spending so much time with Reynald."

                "You weren't exactly paying attention," Duo reasoned. "And yes, she did tell me about those night encounters. She also told me of the times she wanted to confess everything, but didn't know how to start. And let's not forget the fear of your reaction."

                "My reaction?" Heero asked incredulously. "Now she's holding me responsible for lying?"

                "Hey, give her a break. I would've been scared shitless of how you'd react if I were in her shoes. Look at you; you're not exactly taking all this well. You're angry."

                "Angry? I'm not just angry I'm _livid_! What reaction do you expect when you've been made a fool? Because of the feelings she made me feel, I started thinking I was gay—then bisexual after I met the girl! Do you know how fucked up the feeling is?"

                Duo shook his head. "I understand what you're saying, but she didn't mean for you to feel this way—"

                "And how exactly did she want me to feel then?"

                The braided boy ignored his roommate and continued. "She's been honest with you except for a few things. Her feelings were real, that much is true. Can't you understand how you're hurting her the way you've been refusing to talk to her?"

                "So now it's my fault _again_ that I'm not exactly jumping with joy after the lies and deception. Something must really be wrong with me."

                "Lena knew you were supposed to be at the committee instead of Paolo. Do you realize what it must've seemed to her?"

                "She got the message then."

                "What's a few white lies between feelings that run deep?" Duo asked. "I've seen you with her. She makes you happy, and you damn well know she does. But you're letting your pigheadedness get the better of you. You like her, don't you?"

                "If there's one thing I can't stand, it's lies, Duo. You know that," Heero replied.

                "But you like her, don't you?" Duo insisted.

                Heero ignored the little voice in his head and steeled his features. "I _liked _her."

                Relena blinked several times, willing the bothersome tears away. She deserved this. She knew she did. But it still hurt.

                Dorothy glanced at her friend beside her and slowly removed the headphones. Relena hadn't moved a muscle since she cut transmission few seconds ago. She gingerly placed a hand on her shoulder.

                She turned to Dorothy and braved a small smile. "At least I know how he really feels," she said, her voice cracking.

                Dorothy shook her head. She felt bad for Relena. Though she made sure the girl knew what she was agreeing to when she told her about the bug, it still didn't help lessen the pain she was feeling. She knew that Relena, at the bottom of her heart, was hoping to hear something good from Heero that would give her even just a sliver of hope.

                "It's okay, Lena, you can cry," she said quietly. "Let it out."

                Relena stared at her for a few more seconds before wordlessly leaning on her shoulder and closing her eyes, quiet sobs racking her body. It was over.

~*~*~*~

                The past week passed by with Relena completely throwing herself to the preparations. Her waking hours were divided between school and the committee. The others were startled by their friend's sudden dedication, but Dorothy knew better.

                What happened in her room nights ago was kept strictly between the two of them. After Relena left her room that night, she seemed to resemble more and more a walking doll without proper nutrition and rest. Dorothy was worried about Relena.

                She woke up early every morning to have time helping people with their costumes and slept late every night doing homework. She knew the girl was trying to distract herself by keeping busy, but she was overdoing it. She rarely spared a few minutes to fill her empty stomach and when she did, it drove Hilde to lunacy because what she ate was hardly enough to last her more than a few minutes before her intestines started eating each other.

                Enduring no more of her friend's determined path to La-la-la-Land, Dorothy cornered Relena after dinner in her and Hilde's room. "Lena, we have to talk."

                Relena's brows furrowed. "Oh, Dorothy, I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry. I promised Allele I'd help her with her dog costume. Hilde's already there. They're waiting for me."

                "They'll manage with you being a few minutes late," the longhaired woman assured. "Relena, listen to me. Stop doing this to yourself. You're not helping. Do you think it would make things better between you and Heero by living the life of an undernourished skeleton?" When her friend merely looked down, she sighed. "Look at you. You've got circles under your eyes. Your skin's chalky and you lost a few pounds since the last time I saw you."

                "You just saw me at the dinning hall."

                Dorothy smiled despite herself. Trust Relena to at least keep her smart mouth. "Lena, you're spiraling towards self-destruction."

                Relena stared at her. "Spiraling to self-destruction? Dorothy, have you been hanging around Sally lately?"

                The other colored and Relena laughed. The senior, Sally Po was known to be something close to a feminist with no qualms showing her activist-side. Lately, Sally had been mixing literature with vigilantism. Relena understood her sentiments exactly, but she couldn't help but be a bit startled with the speeches Sally makes every now and then. However, you have to give her credit for creativity. Not too many people who use literary tools can get away with it.

                She shook her head. "Oh, Dorothy. I appreciate the concern, but I'm okay. I realized I should move on. I tried explaining, but Heero wouldn't listen. I've done my part. It's up to him now. I have to stop beating myself over it. It's his turn now."

                "But the way you've been the past week…"

                "Let's just say that was my way of thinking. My head's clearer now, much clearer. And I owe you for that. Without Heero's…input, I would probably still worry myself to death with the possibility that he might show up at the ball. But it's a given I'll be there. Let _him_ handle that."

                Dorothy stared at her. "Wow, Relena. I didn't think that's how it's been. It seemed to me you were…"

                "Spiraling towards self-destruction?" she supplied with a smile. "I guess that was how it started. But it got me thinking. Is Heero beating himself over what happened the way I am? No. He's happy and content blaming and hating me. Well, too damn bad. I'm done blaming and hating myself."

                "You sure you're okay?" Dorothy couldn't help but ask. Relena made sense. She was back to the usual no-nonsense, sensible, logical, Heero-less Relena. But she wasn't so sure it was a good thing. She liked the Relena with Heero (without the Heero hating her part, of course).

                She nodded. "Yes. Thanks for the concern, really appreciate it. But I gotta run. I can't feel too assured, leaving Hilde with a pair of shears." She led the taller girl out with her. She locked the door and turned to Dorothy. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow?"

                Dorothy nodded. "Tomorrow. I've got my own costume to finish anyway. Have fun."

                "With Hilde armed with the shears, I doubt that," Relena joked before making a beeline for the stairs. She had to hurry if she wanted to save Allele's dog costume.

Tbc

====

                Another short part. Sorry. But I wanted to keep the story until part 15, which would be the end. However, I promise the last two parts will be filled with action (not the smash-'em-diss-'em action, mind you) between Heero and Relena. But inspiration for that still needs to hit me. I'm being too distracted again. Gomen. Anyway, I hope you liked this part enough to read on. ^_^


End file.
